


Gery

by Brazendale



Category: N/A - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 08:52:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/696502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brazendale/pseuds/Brazendale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when the ultimate Hollywood heart throb, man about town, and dedicated bachelor meets his match?</p><p>The story of a 'movie star' and the woman who bought him to his knees, turned his world up side down and gave his life some meaning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Gery loved women and women loved Gery. Tall, short, blonde, brunette, it was all the same to him. He loved them all. He just did not seem to be able to help himself. He seemed to just know how to push the right button in a woman and even though at times he could be a right bastard, he really did have a heart that was a lot softer than he let on, well sometimes. He was forty - something and had never been married, hell why buy the bakery when you can get the pastries for free was his motto. 

His career was a success and he could have anyone that he wanted and yet, there was something missing. He denied it of course, a guy like Gery would, but he knew that he was only fooling himself. In the morning, after just another encounter in a string of one night stands had left, there he was on his own and although he professed to be extremely content with his bachelor life style, he wasn’t, he hated it. It wasn’t always that way but lately, that was where he was at. 

If women felt used by men, then spare a thought for a man that was lusted over for his looks by thousands but, if asked, how many of his adoring fans really knew or cared for him as a person rather than a hot body and pretty face, the answer would be minimal. He was a realist and he knew that was how it went down but it didn’t make him feel any better. 

He sighed, it was the first day of a new movie and looking at his watch, he realised he had better get a move on; he was due in make up for pre filming tests. Not that he was particularly looking forward to it, the movie was just another one in a long string of ‘chick flicks’ spent half naked, with banal dialogue and happy ever after endings. He was bored to tears with it all. 

He had been begging Artie - his agent, for year after year to find him something different, something that would stretch him and showcase his many talents and not just one very obvious one. ‘But Gery, this is what sells, this is what they want. Who wants to look at a good looking horn bag doing some angst filled drama, get real my friend and accept it,’ Artie had argued.

Grabbing a quick shower to wash of last night’s conquest, he dressed and headed for the studio. ‘Morning Gery’ Joe the gate man waved him through as he swung his sleek red Ferrari Spyder through the gates and headed for his car spot. As he walked through the studio he was stopped along the way by a various assortment of well -wishers. Men liked him just as much as woman did but for very different reasons, they envied him his life style and could only dream of his love life. 

He had already been late but now he was really late with the many stops for a chat and catch up conversations with old acquaintances, it had been a couple of years since working for this studio and it was good to see so many familiar faces still around. 

Gery finally made it to the makeup rooms, more like a suite really, the whole building having been refurbished since he had last been there. Sauntering in with his usual swagger, a pair of arms were immediately flung around his neck and a bear hug ensued. ‘Gery you hot sack of goods, how’s my favourite Englishman? Still tearing hearts apart, just like you did mine?’ 

‘Goldie darling, how the hell are you? It’s been a while?’ he smiled and kissed the blousy red head full on the lips, much to her delight. They had history and not just a professional one. Goldie had worked on many of the movies Gery had shot over his career and she had always made him look good but then, that might have something to do with the fact that she really did care about him and hell, with his looks she really didn’t have to try too hard to make him look any better than he did. He was drop dead gorgeous and the camera loved him. 

Back in the days when he had shown up in LA as a youthful twenty two year old, having had a somewhat meteoric rise to fame in the UK thanks to a hit series over there, he had been ‘discovered’ by Artie who lured him to LA with the promise of big things to come. 

There is a saying however that goes something along the lines of ‘What makes God laugh, telling him your future plans,’ and so it was the way with Gerry and his career. The big promises of instant stardom took a gruelling four years of bit parts in mediocre movies, third or fourth billing if he was lucky and a few ads, no major roles, no recognition and no stardom. 

It was while making one of these third rate movies that Gerry first met Goldie. She was in her mid thirties she said at the time and instantly took a liking to the younger man. She thought he was a honey, he thought she was a babe. He developed an instant rapport with the older woman. She was sympathetic to his situation, his disappointment and the disillusionment he felt with his stagnant career and, he found her attractive. 

He didn’t care about the age difference, what did that matter when it came down to it, it was only a few years and sex was sex, and he loved it. After all, he had thought at the time, he had lost his virginity to an older woman. She had been 16 and he had been a couple of months off his fifteenth birthday. Yes sure, it been sort of an accident, a case of you show me yours and I’ll show you mine getting a little carried away with so really, he was pretty opened minded when in came down to age, as long as they were willing and above the age of consent well, he was up for it and then some. 

‘What you need is a makeover, a new image, something that will make them sit up and take notice.’ Goldie had advised him after a long conversation about his situation, and that is exactly what she went ahead and did. She gave him the total treatment, changing his hair colour and cut, picking a brand new wardrobe, giving him tips of where to go and with whom to be seen with to his advantage where ever possible, she had after all been in the business since her late teens and knew the ropes. 

She pulled in favours from her many contacts in the industry including a freelance photographer friend with connections to several top shelf magazines and links to gossip reporters in the trade papers that would all help to relaunch him. In fact, she did more for him than Artie did at the time but that was all right with him, every little bit helped and he knew that sooner or later with the new image, Artie would hopefully be fending off the offers. 

‘Goldie why are you doing this, why are you going to so much trouble?’ Gery had asked her one night over a coffee at his apartment after another late night cocktail party she had managed to get them invited to. All the right people had been there including the latest and hottest new fashion designer who had quite taken a shine to Gery and insisted in giving him a card and arranging for him to come in to set up a photo shoot show casing his latest designs. 

‘Silly boy,’ Goldie had replied to his question, ‘don’t you know by now why?’ she chortled with disbelief. They were sitting on his couch, her shoes kicked off and legs stretched across his lap. Arching her leg, she gently moved her foot and lightly rubbed his lap. If he had been surprised he didn’t show it, perhaps a testament to his acting skills or perhaps he really did feel something towards her other than gratitude but one thing was for sure, he was enjoying putting a new take on a ‘foot rub’. He made love to Goldie on the couch, taking her as she had wanted to be taken, with passion and lust, making her feel erotic and sensuous before taking her to bed, holding her tenderly. He was good, he was really good.

In the morning he had awoken and, aroused by the memories of the previous night, he had taken her again, his youthful desires a joy to her. She was no fool, she was older than she had told him and had no illusions as to how very lucky she was to have someone as attractive as he was even consider her as bed partner, so she took what she could get and held no expectations for anything further from their relationship.

The photo shoot for the designer was the catalyst in re launching Gerry’s career. Within in one year he had hit the big time and was more than just a rising star, he had made it. He was seen on red carpets, talk shows and out and about. He charmed anyone and everyone. Women fawned over him, the powerful fan clubs that had sprung up all around the world clamoured for him. He saw Goldie whenever he had the odd free night and was not in the arms of some sweet young thing but their relationship, if you could call it that, was more of a friendship. Despite this, he never forgot her or how much he owed her.

They worked together whenever he was shooting for that particular studio and had the odd night in bed together from time to time, but over the years as he got older and busier, their time together grew less so it had been eighteen months since they had last caught up. Now he was back and she was there, smiling that smile that he found so much a part of her.

‘Get over here and let me take a look at you. I need to see what you have been up to since I last worked on you, how much you have done to yourself. I’ve told you before that sooner or later it’s going to start showing on that beautiful face of yours.’ 

She sat him down under the unsympathetic lights and studied his face, scrutinising every tiny pore of skin, frowning with concentration. ‘You honey, you have been getting it too much and it shows’ she said. He smirked at her meaning but really Gery didn’t need to be reminded of time catching up with him. He was the one that had to look in the mirror and face the same thought every day. She leaned down and pecked him on the cheek saying ‘Don’t worry, we can fix it with just a touch up here and there and hell sugar, you just get better looking with age. You are one hot boy.’ She smiled looking a little wistful.

At that moment the door opened and they were joined by a small blonde. She could have been anywhere from late twenties to mid thirties but Gerry didn’t really notice. All he noticed was the most amazing pair of blue he had seen and a smile that simply blew him away. 

‘Gery this is Summer, she is going to be helping me out, she will be taking over when I leave.’ Gery swung around ‘When you leave? Where are you going?’ he asked surprised. ‘Hun I am moving to New Mexico. I have been offered something that I have been wanting for a long time so I am going to pass on my skills to someone before I am out of here.’ ‘Now what the hell are you going to be doing that is so important in New Mexico?’ Gery was staring at her. ‘Petal, I am getting married.’

Gery was staring at her as though she had two heads. ‘You are getting married?’ He knew that had sounded rude but even though the thought had never entered his head, he did feel a pang of jealousy. ‘Sweetness, I am nearly sixty now’ being honest about her age for the first time since they had met, ‘I am never going to get a second chance at this so I will be out of here after this movie but don’t worry, I will make sure to teach Summer everything I know about you,’ she winked ‘so that I can rest easy knowing that I have done my best and left you in good hands.’

It took him a few seconds to register what she was saying. After getting over the initial shock of her real age and doing some rough calculations, he gave a mental shrug, hell for her age she was still a hot looking woman and had been when they had first met and really, who was he to judge the reasons behind her deception. But her leaving had knocked him for a loop.

He had always relied on her for her help and her honesty. Even now when they didn’t see each other that much, he had always felt that she was there for him, just a phone call away if he needed a true friend. He suddenly felt very alone and didn’t like it. 

Snapping himself out of it he held out his arms. ‘That’s wonderful Goldie, really wonderful and I am so happy for you.’ he said sounding enthusiastic even though he wasn’t feeling it. ‘You are such a lying sack of shit Gery but thanks,’ she said as she hugged him, ‘You know that I am still only going to be a phone call away right? You ever need to talk, you just pick up the dam phone and call, you hear me?’

Gery nodded and smiled ‘Yes sure, sure you know that I will,’ but really they both knew this film was going to be the end of something that had started when they were both in a different time and place and besides, things change, nothing ever really stays the same. 

‘Okay, enough of that, let’s get started. I’ve got the script and running sheets, I know Hun, first up is the obligatory pool scene so come on, off with the clothes, I need to see that body of yours.’


	2. Chapter 2

‘You need a body wax Honey, legs and arms are fine but with that pool scene, sorry but it needs to be done.’ Goldie was shaking her head as she inspected him as though he was some kind of specimen. ‘And you need to get those moles checked Hun, they look a bit bigger to me.’ She was running her fingers expertly over his back, closely looking at the slight fur that she knew the camera would magnify into a gorilla suit. Fans noticed that kind of thing, hell they noticed everything. ‘Summer can you take care of it, I need to go talk to that useless stores manager, we need more foundation and are running low on other products. I told him last week to order it in but it still hasn’t shown up?’ And with that she was gone.

Summer looked at Gery who was staring at her. It made her nervous. This was her first job at this particular studio and she considered it a real break. She had worked in the industry for a while now but always with the smaller independent studios. She had worked on all kinds of film, every thing from horror, her speciality being Vampire make up, to period pieces and everything else in between for that matter. 

She was skilled and had won a couple of awards for her work on the teen horror hit, ‘Vampires Do It To Me’ and she had picked up a "Golden Fang" award from the sub culture Blood Lust Grips You awards for her work on ‘I Was a Teenage Fangbanger’. 

They were great to have but, she laughed to herself, she wanted to mainstream with her work, she wanted to use her skills to make a difference to something important. She dreamed of an Oscar for something that had meaning. Her idol was "Whitie" Marilyn’s long time make up artist, he was a legend. This was her chance, and at least here she hoped, she would not have to ever see one more set of fang marks or sharp false teeth. 

‘If you would like to follow me,’ she smiled shyly as Gery, still half naked from Goldie’s inspection, walked into the next room where a table, similar to a masseuse table, was laid out with towels already pre prepared. That Goldie, Gery thought, she knew he’d more than likely need this, she knew him so well he smirked to himself. 

‘If you could just err, strip down to your underwear, there is a robe and a towel over there and I will be back in a moment.' Gery smiled that smile that had thousands of women all over the world groaning with desire. ‘Darling, I don’t wear underwear, I go commando,’ he said watching her closely to see the effect of this on her. 

‘There is a towel there,’ she said again as she blushed, ‘I will be back in a moment.’ She swallowed hard and fled. 

It never failed, he thought as he unzipped his jeans, took off his shoes and socks and grabbing the towel, jumped up on the table. They all reacted the same, he was thinking with a small smile. 

He was lying on his back, the towel draped over him when Summer came back carrying various bits and pieces. She looked across at him lying on the table trying hard not to stare at the outline under the towel that was pretty evident. 

‘Could you roll over please, I need to do your back first if you don’t mind.’ He smiled again, her obvious timidity amusing him but he also found it rather sweet and definitely different from the usual lust filled reactions most women had to him. 

He wasn’t being intentional but as he rolled over the towel slipped and fell to the floor. Summer caught a glimpse of him as he hastily cupped himself and tried to reach down and grab the towel, her eyes meeting his for a split second before she sprang over and picking it up she reached over to the shelf holding the clean towels, handing one to him without looking as she turned away to put the soiled one in the laundry basket for washing.

Turning back Gery now lay face down, he had draped the clean towel over his butt and was laying with his head resting comfortably over the head rest. ‘Are you comfortable?’ she asked, ‘I am just going to warm the wax and we’ll get started.’ He moved his head to watch her as she was moving around the room gathering up this and that until she had all that she needed to do the job.

She was slim but not skinny, she was tanned but not the fake solarium tans that were more like a burnt orange, no she had a healthy glow that made the blue of her eyes pop. She was small, around five three or four and wore her body well. Gery was a leg man, no that’s not quite true he was thinking, he was an arse man too but then again, he loved breasts and Summer had a pair to die for. Oh lord, he caught himself thinking, she really was the whole package. She looked really great. 

‘Okay does this feel all right for you?’ she asked as she spread the warmed wax down his back. Hell yes he was thinking, it feels fantastic. ‘That’s fine luv,’ he mumbled through the gap in the table. ‘If it’s too hot, please tell me, I don’t want to burn you,' she stressed with real concern in her voice. He assured her that it was fine again as she began. ‘I am sorry I know this hurts but ….’ ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it. It’s all part of the process, you get used to it don’t you?’ ‘Yes, at least it’s not as bad as a Brazilian. Now that, that really hurts.’ 

Gery’s eyebrows rose as he attempted to turn his head to look at her and Summer, realising the implications of what she had said, could have kicked herself. When she had been offered the position and found that she would be working on a film of Gery’s, she had made a vow that she would keep cool, stay professional and not think about just what a good looking man he was. 

It was kind of ironical she thought because hanging on her bedroom wall was an art piece she had done featuring him. In her spare time one of her passions was digital art and she had created a piece with Gery from a magazine article in an issue of Men’s Health. 

The snaps from the shoot were just too good to ignore and she had been so pleased with the finished image of multiple Gery’s looking out through the arches in a long passage, desaturised to black and white, his eyes coloured to brilliant blue, so stunning was the look that she had it blown up and hung. It was the first thing that she saw in the morning and the last thing before she went to sleep at night. There was not one single one of her friends that did not make some excuse to visit her bedroom each time they were over just to admire it.

As she worked on his body she kept telling her self to focus, just concentrate, don’t think about it. It’s just another job, just another body. She almost groaned, this was not just another body, who was she kidding. She told herself to stop it as she could feel herself beginning to shake and that was out of the question. 

‘How are you doing, do you want me to stop, do you need a break?’ She was amazed that her voice sounded as in control as it did. ‘I am fine luv, thanks for asking. I would like to get this over and done with if you don’t mind,’ he mumbled, as he zoned out trying not to think of Summer and her soft hands on his back. 

She worked as quickly as she could from then on, at the same time trying to be gentle and not cause him too much pain. ‘I am done now but before you roll over I will need to get some of the excess wax off so stay right there and I’ll get the baby oil heated a little’. Gery rolled his eyes. Oh lord, you have just got to be kidding me he was thinking to himself.

Summer poured warmed oil onto his back and into her hands as she began to gently massage it into his back. She closed her eyes and tried really hard not to let herself think about massaging what she considered to be the most beautiful guy in the world.

Gery was total putty in her small warm hands. The tension in every part of his body had melted away and he was so very relaxed and loose, well almost. He hadn’t felt this good in years or as needy. Summer, whether she knew it or not, just did something to him. 

Once she had finished getting the residual wax off, she then gently towelled him down, rubbing and patting his back. ‘Okay, that’s all done so if you could just roll over please so I can finish you off’ she said. Oh hell yes please he thought to himself, there's nothing more that I would love or need right now than that but then pulled himself together as much as he could.

‘Okay but you may have to give me a minute or two,’ he smiled rather sheepishly. ‘Why, are you okay?’ she asked him concerned that she had some how hurt him in some way.

Carefully holding the towel this time, he rolled over and it was very obvious just exactly what was the reason for Gery’s reluctance. ‘I’ll come back, I just have to umm, get something,’ she mumbled as her eyes had rolled down his body, seen his predicament, and she rushed out the door red faced.

‘Oh shit,’ he exclaimed to himself, ‘dam it’. Unlike his usual provocative antics, this was purely an involuntary reaction, well actually not involuntary, he actually could have tried a bit harder not to get aroused but he thought why not, Summer really turned him on. He was actually feeling something, for the first time in a long time, rather than just going through the motions and he felt like this beautiful bird, as he thought of her, really seemed real.  
‘Oh fuck’ he was thinking ‘that’s torn it.’

Summer did not reappear for ten minutes, she hoped that would be long enough for Gery to calm down, besides he wasn’t the only one that needed to.

When she returned he was somewhat subdued. Summer worked on the rest of the procedure as quickly as possible, handing him the bottle of oil when finished with the waxing and telling him how to use it then she advised him to take a hot shower to remove the oil. She left him to dress in private.

Goldie still wasn’t back when Gery emerged fully dressed and it was late now. Looking at his watch then looking across at Summer as she tidied up the room, he made a decision. 

‘Look, I am really embarrassed and I am sorry about before. Would you let me make it up to you?’ he asked somewhat tentatively, sounding pretty genuine. Summer looked up and again caught his eyes. He could be just acting she was thinking to herself, doubt showing on her face. ‘I really mean it, I am sorry,’ he was saying again. 

‘Look, at least let me buy you a coffee or,’ and looking at his watch again, ‘how about I buy you some dinner. It doesn’t look like Goldie is coming back any time soon and trust me, I know her well enough to know that she could talk the hind leg off a donkey when she gets started so there’s no point in us waiting for her. Please, I would like to make amends.’ He was being so dam persuasive and that voice, that accent.

She struggled for about a whole minute before deciding what the hell, it’s just dinner. Smiling a little she nodded. ‘Okay, that’s great. I know a little place down near Venice Beach that does some awesome organic food. It’s out of the way and quiet so we won’t be bothered.’ 

Summer realised that probably what he was meaning was that he wouldn’t be spotted by the paps with a nobody like her there. Oh well, it was just a dinner. ‘Do you have your car here?’ he asked. She explained that she had caught a lift in with Goldie in the morning so she was free to go, then hastily leaving her a note to explain that she was leaving, with many knowing looks from those that they past on their way to his car, they headed off to dinner.

The food was good and Gery had been right, the place was quite, the few patrons there had given the couple some glances of recognition but for the main part had left them alone. During dinner he had asked her about herself seeming genuinely interested and not just making small talk. 

They talked about a lot of things, interests, hobbies, discovering that he too loved digital art and was proficient with various programs. They talked about his life in the UK before he came here, how he had come from a conventional background, being the odd one out in the family and how hard it had been following his dreams to become an actor. 

They talked for hours. It was not until the waiter started scrapping the chairs as he began cleaning up that they realised they were the last ones in the place. 

Paying the bill and apologising for lingering so long, Gery ... with his arm around Summer, walked out of the restaurant. They had barely made it out the door when a flash of light hit them, followed in rapid succession by more as they walked to his car. Someone had called the paps, they had been spotted.

‘Oh Gery, I am so sorry,’ Summer was distressed as they got in his car and sped away. ‘There’s nothing to be upset about,’ he tried to reassure her, ‘it happens all the time, I’m used to it but heh,’ taking her hand in his and kissing it, ‘are you okay? You are shaking, do you want me to pull over?’ ‘No, I’m all right, can we just go home?’

She couldn’t tell him that just his arm around her coming out of the restaurant and now, the kiss to her hand, that was what had set her shaking. Her heart was racing and she really felt dizzy. Oh god, pull yourself together woman she was thinking in a panic, losing her cool.

The drive to her apartment helped but not completely. When Gery stopped the car she was determined that she would just thank him for the dinner, get out and go to bed but not before having a really cold shower, however the minute he had stopped the car he was out of it and opening her door. She looked up at him as he helped her out and wrapping his arm around her, he escorted her to her door. 

She fumbled with her keys in her bag then finally retrieving them turned to him with her heart pounding. ‘Thank you for dinner. I really enjoyed it.’ She was standing there looking up into his eyes. He smiled at her, not the normal cheesecake smile that was on all the posters and promos shots, this smile touched his eyes and made his mouth crease with two little lines that seemed to soften his face in the dim hallway. ‘So did I,’ he said with sincerity and he lent down unexpectedly and brushed her cheek just as she turned her face a little and his lips met hers. 

It wasn’t a big lust filled tongue down her throat kiss as she may have expected given his reputation, nor was it a teasing kind, this was just a tender soft recognition of the genuine attraction they felt for each other on many levels and it did more to win her over and turn her on than anything else that he could have done had he been deliberately trying to seduce her which, unusually for him, he wasn’t.

They were both a little shaken when they parted, Summer literally shaking and Gery’s breath rapid. ‘Would you like to come in for a coffee?’ she asked, quickly following this up with, ‘it’s just a coffee right?’ 

Clearing his throat a little but unable to get any words out without his voice betraying him, he simply nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

'Nice place you have here,’ Gery called out as Summer busied herself in the kitchen getting coffee. ‘Do you live here on your own luv or do you share?’ He was walking around looking at various pieces of artwork she had hanging throughout the living room. Over on the book case he found her awards, his eyebrows raised as he delicately ran his finger along the razor sharp fangs of her "Golden Fang" award, the inscription read: "For putting the bite into millions of necks." He was just putting it back on the shelf when she came in carrying a tray with coffee and a small dish of Belgium chocolates.

‘So, tell me, I have always wondered what that blood that you used on “Fangbangers” tasted like? There seemed to be gallons of it splashing everywhere.’ She laughed ‘It tastes a bit like raspberry syrup but meatier. It does taste better than it looks. Oh, don’t tell me you have seen “Fangbangers” because I don’t believe you.' ‘Lorenzo, just bite me, take me to eternity, take me to the darkness,’ he quoted. ‘Oh my god, you really have seen it haven’t you?’ He was laughing. ‘Well I have a confession to make, I closed my eyes through the gory bits, horror movies scare me,’ he blushed as he said this.

He had walked over and sat down on the couch as she put the tray on the coffee table, handing him his cup. Looking up and smiling, he patted the cushion next to him encouraging her to sit beside him. The coffee was good, it was hot, strong and gave them both an edge. She offered him a chocolate, something that he normally wouldn’t eat, careful of his diet when filming, it wouldn’t do to put on too many pounds when he had to look in shape but these looked much too tempting. 

She smiled. ‘I know, I don’t normally eat them either and only keep them for guests but they are wonderful and …’ she shrugged, ‘I just feel like some. They really are sensational.’ Gery raised an eyebrow as he watched her biting into one, there was something about it that just got to him. ‘You know what, I will have one of those.’ She handed him the dish and he took one, biting into it, and the delicate chocolate melted onto his fingers.

She popped the last mouthful into her mouth and was about to lick her fingers when he reached over taking her hand and drew it to his lips then licked the melted goodness off her finger tips. ‘You are right, they are wonderful,’ he softly said looking into her eyes, his hand trembling a little as he held her hand.

Summer’s heart fairly pounded. Oh this just can’t be happening, she was melting as much as the chocolate had. If this was one of his moves then it was sure working on her. He gently pulled her in to him, his eyes questioning hers, giving her ample opportunity to stop if she wanted to but she didn’t, she didn’t want to, she wanted this to happen despite herself, despite all the rules that she’d set for her self about not getting carried away, not getting personal and staying professional.

And Gery, he was feeling like a teenager on a first date. It had been years since he had felt so unsure of himself, so hesitant. He was trying to rationalise it in his own mind but couldn’t. On any normal night with anyone else, he would have done the deed by now and either been on his way home or in bed snoring. What the hell was he doing he thought to himself and he really couldn’t answer. Maybe it just got down to the fact that he felt so bad for embarrassing her today and for some reason he did feel really bad and he did care that he had.

He lightly brushed her lips, the barest of kisses sent him trembling. Hell, what was wrong with him he thought. He was shaking so much that she could feel him and embarrassed, he pulled back a little. She looked at him and felt his doubt, realising that this wasn’t an act, he really looked like he was distressed. 

She couldn’t stand to see him like this, this was not the confident man about the town that was his public persona and she felt for him. She looked him in the eyes, reached out with her hand around his neck and pulled him into her, parting her lips slightly inviting him to explore her lips and her mouth, the sweetness of her gesture leaving him breathless.

Her mouth was sweet, her tongue was sweet, everything about her was so very very sweet. They sat like two kids on their parents couch necking, Gery too scared to touch her, he was already in a state, if he had attempted anything further he didn’t think he could have stood it. 

They had been sitting like this simply exploring each others mouths, both feeling the desire to take it further, a lot further but neither making a move. Eventually they had to stop to get their breath back. He had his arm around her and she was leaning on his chest feeling his heart beating really fast. She couldn’t believe that this was really happening to her. 

He moved a little uncomfortably and she immediately leaned forward. ‘Are you okay?’ she asked him still a little breathless. He smiled ruefully. ‘It’s the oil, the baby oil, I really need to take a shower, do you mind?’ She looked at him hard, was this one of his moves or did he really just need to wash the oil off. She was battling with trusting him and falling for him or telling him to go home for his shower.

Trusting him won out as she pointed towards her bedroom door. ‘There are clean towels on top of the basket and you will find everything else that you need.’ He stood and turned hastily, he did not want her to see the state he was in and have her misconstrue his intentions. As very much as he wanted her, he did not want to rush things. 

‘I won’t be long,’ he called as he walked into her bedroom and stopped dead for a moment or two. He poked his head back out the door and looking at her he winked. Oh hell she thought as she realised that there on her wall was the artwork she had done and it wasn’t just that picture, on the opposite wall was a blow up shot she had done of his hands, as she had told her closest friend Clair, ‘He has the most beautifully expressive hands that she had ever seen.' Summer cringed at the thought of what he must be thinking. 

She was sitting there in a state, dying of embarrassment thinking of how she would ever be able to look him in the face. He had been in the shower for about five minutes when she heard a crash, the sound of breaking glass followed by Gery’s voice. ‘Oh shit!’ She ran to the bedroom expecting the bathroom door to be closed but he had left it slightly ajar and from that angle she could see him in profile in the shower. 

She drew her breath in, he was still in what she termed a state and oh lord, was he ever. Hastily retreating a few paces backwards into the lounge room, she shakily called out to him to see if he was all right, all the while thinking just how he looked so perfect and so very needy.

She sat down abruptly on the edge of the arm of the couch, her legs were weak and her body was so telling her what her head didn’t want to hear. She was swallowing hard and sweating. She hadn’t even noticed that he had turned off the shower and she jumped when he emerged from the bedroom. 

But her embarrassment was totally forgotten by the sight of him. Instead of dressing he was standing very sheepishly in her short pink robe and if it was short on her then it was so short on him that it barely covered the top of his thighs.

‘I am such a sodding idiot,’ he was blushing, really blushing, ‘I am so sorry, I’ve accidentally knocked over a bottle of I don’t know what and it’s gone all over my clothes, do you think that I could umm, wash them or something?’ 

She was staring at him as he stood there in her bath robe desperately trying to cover himself, holding it close to him with his hand to avoid a repetition of the days embarrassment not knowing that she had already seen him in the shower and the sight she had seen was a lot more than just the glimpse she had caught today. She had heard gossip about his legendary man hood but she had thought it was all just some publicity stunt dreamt up but some over zealous publicist, she knew different now. 

‘Gery it’s really late and I have to be up to get to work, I have to go to bed and there won’t be enough time for me to stay up, wash and dry your clothes and see you off. Look, I have a spare room and you are welcome to stay. I can put the clothes in the wash and then into the dryer so they will be fine in the morning. Is that okay?’ 

Gery nodded. ‘I really am such an idiot.' She got up and went to the bathroom to get his clothes, put them in the washer and went to clean up the mess on the bathroom floor. ‘Let me help, it’s the least that I can do,’ he was saying as he came to join her, getting down on his hands and knees, carefully clearing up the wreckage. ‘Here let me do it, I don’t want you cutting yourself,’ he said to her taking the dust pan from her. 

She stood up and then realised that on his hands and knees the bathrobe had shot up over his buttocks and the view from his rear.... she fled to the safety of the spare room to turn down the bed and make sure it was tidy before grabbing the clothes out of the washer and setting them in the dryer. This can’t be happening, it just can’t be happening, I am going to wake up and it’s all going to be some crazy dream she kept telling herself.

He was standing in her bedroom looking at the artwork on her walls when she came back in. She just couldn’t bring herself to look at him, the day and the night had taken a toll on her and she was beginning to feel the reaction. 

‘I love what you have done with this, did you use the desaturation function then add the colouring? I have a graphics tablet, it’s great, do you use one?’ he asked really interested. ‘I borrowed a friends, I don’t have one but they are great. I am not that good with it because I only had it for the weekend but they are great aren’t they?’ Her embarrassment was forgotten as they chatted enthusiastically and both of them seemed to relax a little. She was so grateful that he hadn’t made anything of the fact that she had him hanging in her bed room. 

He turned and looked at her bed, his eyes lingering just a fraction before he looked up at the other piece of her work. ‘You know, that’s really beautiful what you have done. I don’t mean because it’s my hands, it’s just your composition.’ He shook his head and looked down at his hands then back to the piece. ‘Did you do a screen cap? What program did you use, that’s really sharp for a cap, how much enhancement did you have to use?’ 

The conversation went on as she turned down her bed, got out her clothes for the morning and set out her make up. When she had finished getting everything ready she looked at him, ‘Come on,’ she shyly took his hand and for just one minute he thought… but no, she walked him out of her room and into the spare room. 

‘There are extra blankets on the chair if you get cold and I have left a glass of water for you.’ She stood next to him without realising that they were still holding hands. ‘I am so sorry Summer. I hope that you don’t judge me by today, I would hate to think that…’ he trailed off, he really didn’t know what to say to her, for some reason he just didn’t want her thinking badly of him.

She looked away then looked back at him. ‘It’s okay, thank you for dinner. I may be gone before you get up so if you could just lock up when you leave that would be great.’ ‘How about I give you a lift to work, at least then you can have a bit more sleep.’ She was really grateful for this as she was nearly dropping and knew that she would be even more tired in the morning. ‘Thanks that would be great but I have to leave pretty early are you sure?’ ‘It’s the least I can do,’ he replied gently running his finger down her cheek.

‘Well, good night then,’ she said lingering. Now that it had come to it she really didn’t want to leave him there but she knew that she had to. ‘May I?’ he said as he pulled her into him, looking down at her, searching her eyes and gently kissing her before breaking away. ‘Good night,’ she said again and left him there. 

It took him two hours to finally get to sleep. The bed was soft and comfortable, he was warm enough and the sheets had some kind of soothing fragrance to them but despite all of that, he couldn’t get Summer out of his head. He’d never felt like this and he was amazed. 

As he lay there he realised that he had never told a woman that he loved her, never had a long term relationship, the longest when he really thought about it was with Goldie and she was just a friend, a good friend, but that was all. He had many women but Summer was different, he didn’t know why but she was. He had been hit by a thunderbolt and it was new experience, and he was lost. 

Falling asleep eventually, he dreamt of her. She came into his room with his clothes straight out of the dryer and left them hanging on the wardrobe door then as he had become uncovered in his sleep, she had gently pulled the covers up, bending and kissing his cheek softly so as not to disturb him. Her lips on his cheek were warm and he could still smell the scent of her body close to him as she had left the room quietly. He had felt comforted by her presence and wanted her to come back in to him but she didn’t and he didn’t mind, he knew that when he woke she would be there waiting for him. 

The dream ended when he woke in the morning but looking across at the wardrobe door there were his clothes hanging just as they had been in his dream and he wondered if it had been a dream when it had seemed so real. 

He knew one thing that was real though, he couldn’t wait to see her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer lightly knocked on Gery's door. ‘Are you awake?’ she called softly in case he was still asleep. ‘Come in,’ he called out to her. ‘Are you decent?’ she asked hastily. His recollections of their kissing the night before when he had woken earlier but had been lying there thinking of her for the past ten minutes had made him positively indecent so he sat up and quickly drew his knees up to camouflage his present state. She walked into the room looking very sleepy and yawning. Her hair was tousled and she wore no make up. She knew that she must look a sight but didn’t care. 

‘I’ve over slept, I am going to be so late,’ she was fretting, trying not to sound annoyed but not really succeeding. She had a short purple nightie on made out of some kind of tee shirt fabric. It clung to her breasts and the rest of her body leaving nothing to the imagination. Gery almost groaned out loud at the sight but caught himself just in time and was even gladder that he was not still lying flat on his back to greet her. He thought that she looked sensational. 

‘Good morning.’ He smiled at her, the same genuine smile that lit his face last night. ‘Don’t worry about it, I can square it away with Goldie and the studio if it comes to that. Anyway, they can’t do anything if I am not there can they, and Summer, I am not running late so you needn’t fret,’ he reassured her.

‘Oh I hadn’t even thought of that, sorry I am just a bit out of it.’ He looked contrite. ‘That’s my fault, I kept you up way past your bed time. I’m so sorry, I seem to be doing nothing but apologising to you. Let me make it up to you, how about I take you to breakfast?’ She gave a small smile. ‘Don’t worry about breakfast, it’s already on. Oh and I left your clothes hanging on the wardrobe last night,’ she said over her shoulder on her way out to the kitchen.

So he was right, he hadn’t been dreaming after all, she had come into his room during the night. He sat in bed reliving her soft hands gently pulling the covers around his neck, her lips on his cheek as she kissed him and the smell of her. He didn’t know what perfume she wore but he wanted it, he wanted to be covered in her scent, she smelt so delicious. 

He suddenly felt on top of the world and sprang out of bed. As he dressed he was humming and singing softly. He didn’t notice that Summer had come to the door to ask if he was about ready for breakfast. She had stopped just in the doorway as she was distracted by his singing, it was beautiful. He was just pulling on his pants when she had stuck her head around the door and caught the reflection of his body in the mirrored wardrobe door, realising he had been telling the truth when he said that he went commando. Oh my she thought, he was just too much, and that voice! 

She had loved the one or two movies he had made where they had managed to work a song into his role. He had the most musical baritone voice, very theatrical in tenor and just drop dead gorgeous. He was softly singing the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah and she could have stood there all day just listening. 

Turning around he saw her standing there. She had dressed in a simple pale blue dress that showed off her tan, her make up minimal and her hair hanging lose and falling over her shoulders. She took his breath away, she looked stunning.

He stopped singing, embarrassed by his outburst. ‘That was beautiful,’ she said quietly, ‘really beautiful,’ a tear spilling down her cheek. He was really surprised and came over to her lifting her chin up to look at her tear stained face, gently wiping it with his finger.

‘What is it?’ he asked her gently, ‘I’m sorry, have I upset you?’ ‘Sorry,' she sniffed a little, ‘it’s just that song, it really gets me, I can really relate to it and you sing it so beautifully,’ she trailed off. He didn’t say anything, he just stood there looking at her. 

She suddenly stiffened and broke free running to the kitchen yelling, ‘Oh shoot I forgot the toast,’ as the smell from the toaster spread throughout the apartment. Gery followed her and opened a window. 

She turned to him laughing. ‘See what you have done to me.’ Putting his arms around her he kissed her passionately, no tentative holding back this time, putting everything into it they stood clinging to each other locked in an embrace surprising them both. 

Finally parting, he looked down at the bulge in his pants. ‘See what you have done to me,’ he gave her a wry smile. ‘I saw what I had done to you last night and this morning’ she blushed and Gery groaned. ‘And yesterday, don’t forget yesterday either,’ he smiled ruefully and she giggled, yesterdays tension gone.

He pulled her in for another lingering kiss, touching her face, wrapping his arm around her neck for support as he bent her backwards slightly and lent into her, kissing her until she was dizzy and he was breathless.

‘Come on, I am taking you to breakfast, if we don’t go now I will just have to sweep you off your feet and ravage you,' he said nuzzling her. ‘And that would be bad?’ she whispered. He pulled back from her his heart pounding. ‘Don’t say things that you don’t mean,’ he said seriously. She looked at him full in the eyes. ‘I do meant it Gery but not yet, I have to be sure. I don’t want get hurt again, I’ve been down that road and I’m not taking it again.’

‘Summer,’ he was saying seriously, ‘I promise you, I won’t hurt you.’ She looked at him, his face was grave, not at all the face that thousands recognised. In all the movies and snaps she had seen, she had never seen this expression on his face. 

She buried her face in his chest as he stroked her hair, running his fingers through her silky strands. ‘You mean it don’t you?’ she asked looking up into his face questioningly. ‘Yes, I have never meant anything more in my whole life,' bending his head to kiss her again.

‘Now come on, I am taking you to breakfast.’ And with that they left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘You know you really are a piece of works Gery,’ Goldie exploded as he walked in the door. ‘You didn’t waste any time did you?’ she accused him furiously. For a moment he was taken aback, how the fuck did she know he had stayed at Summer’s and just what the hell did she think had happened. 

He opened his mouth to defend himself but didn’t get the chance. Goldie pounced again, shoving this morning’s paper in his face opened to the entertainment gossip column that everyone read. 

There in front of him was a picture of him with his arm around Summer, the caption read: "Who’s the new blonde?" Gery cringed. Oh hell he thought, he’d forgotten about the pap at the restaurant last night. 

‘It’s all over the net, your fan clubs are going nuts trying to find out who she is and there are tweets galore. Just what the hell do you think you were doing, you only met yesterday for god’s sakes.’

‘You don’t understand and I can’t see the big deal. It’s not what you think. Sod it Goldie, look I took her out to dinner that’s all, okay?’ Gery didn’t want to discuss it with Goldie, he didn’t want to discuss it with anyone. For the first time in his career he wanted privacy, he wanted to be left alone. He wanted to keep Summer out of the lime light, more than anything he wanted to protect her. He just wanted a chance to take things slowly, he knew that was the right thing to do and for once in his life, he was determined to do it.

‘Gery, just don’t you hurt her or you will have me to deal with and you should know by now, I take no prisoners when I am on the war path. She’s been hurt before and she doesn’t need any of your crap in her life. You got that?’ 

The conversation ended abruptly as Summer walked into the room. She had stopped off at the canteen to pick up a coffee after they had gone their separate ways when reaching the studio. 

Over breakfast Gery had asked her if he could see her again tonight, nothing big, just maybe pick up some food and go for a drive, nothing in the city, just something quiet and private. ‘I’d like that, I would like that a lot,’ she had agreed.

Summer immediately had felt the tension when she walked into the room. ‘What’s the matter, what is wrong?’ she was asking, looking from Gery’s face to Goldie’s. Goldie shrugged and pointed to the open paper. 

‘Oh!’ was all she could manage to say. ‘I explained to Goldie that we just grabbed some dinner last night that’s all and that someone must have tipped off a pap. Don’t worry about it, it happens all the time. It doesn’t mean a thing,’ he was saying, brushing it over, making it clear that is was no big deal.

The rest of the day was taken up with all the usual mundane testing and what have you that goes with the job. Goldie, for some perverse reason, was always in the room, never leaving the two of them alone and watching both of them like a hawk. 

She didn’t know what she was expecting to see between the two of them but what ever it was, it didn’t happen, both of them seeming to just carry on as though nothing happened the night before. By the end of the day she was almost convinced that perhaps she had been wrong and yet there was something different about Gery. 

She had known him for so long now and probably knew him better than anyone else in Hollywood. She had seen his many moods but today, and here she just couldn’t put her finger on it, today he’d seemed just that more polite and considerate. He seemed to smile a lot too. She stopped mid thought, that’s it, that’s what’s different his smile, something about his smile is different. 

Maybe it was just her imagination, she was happy and in love with her fiancée and maybe she was just being fanciful. Yes, she thought, she was just imagining it. 

She had given Summer a lift home at the end of the day and had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she had missed the opportunity to drill her about last night. It wasn’t until she’d pulled up out side her apartment and was driving off after saying good night that she realised this and kicked herself. Oh well, it’s nothing she thought, just Gery taking someone out to dinner like he said. She drove home with thoughts of Hank, her hunk of a man in her head and thought no more about it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gery arrived to pick Summer up around dusk. The night was warm and the sunset was giving off a pink and orange hue to everything as they cruised along the highway, the soft top of his black BMW convertible rolled back. He had decided to use this car, one of his many, as he felt it would be less conspicuous than the red Spyder that seemed to just draw attention. 

The light of the sunset washed over everything. Quickly glancing at Summer as he drove he drew his breathe in, she was glowing. Her face was masked in a smile as he looked at her and reaching over, he took her hand raising it to his lips and kissed it. 

He drove along the coast for some time until he found a spot that looked reasonably deserted and pulled in. They were sitting in the car overlooking the sea, the cut away being strategically placed for optimum views. ‘It is just so beautiful isn’t it?’ she remarked at the scene. 

‘You are just so beautiful,’ Gery murmured to her as he leaned over, putting his arm around her and kissing her. ‘I have wanted to do that all day.’  
She smiled. ‘So have I.’

The sun had gone down by the time they came up for air. They had kissed and gazed at each other for what seemed like hours. Anyone that knew him would have been simply amazed by this because under normal circumstances, if he didn’t get want he wanted the first time round there was no second time but then, this was different. 

‘Stay there,’ he said as he jumped out of the car and went to the boot to grab a basket of goodies he had ordered and picked up on the way to her apartment. Grabbing a rug from the back seat, he helped her out of the car and led her down to the beach. 

‘You know,’ she laughed with a mouthful of cold smoked chicken as they sat there eating, ‘you know I haven’t done this for years, well not since I was a teenager and we used to come down to the beach at night on our summer breaks. I am ashamed to say that we used to get legless and end up in a sorry state but hell, it was fun,’ she laughed.

‘We used to hang out in an old abandoned mill. There was a whole group of us and god, the number of times we nearly got caught. It was supposed to be out of bounds, private property and all that palaver but that’s just inviting trouble when you are fifteen and with a group of mates isn’t it?’ he laughed. ‘Even the girls got a kick out of it.’

‘Oh so there were girls, that would figure,’ she raised an eyebrow, smirked and poked him in the ribs. ‘Yeh well, you know the first awakenings, stirring in your loins and all that. What do you expect from a fifteen year old, restraint?’ he laughed. 

‘Was that where you first ….’ ‘Did it?’ he finished. ‘Yes, what about you?’ ‘Back seat of a car,’ she shot back immediately not at all embarrassed by the turn in the conversation. ‘Not very inventive but at least it was kind of comfortable, if not awkward,’ she giggled a little. 

She was eating an orange as she was talking and the juice had run down the side of her mouth. He leaned over and wiped it away with his finger. The talk of their first encounters had only heightened the sexual tension between them and his touch of her face had made it worse. They were both feeling the same stirrings and fighting it. 

They packed up the left overs and sat holding each other, watching the bright stars, listening to the waves and just enjoying being in the moment. They made small talk, telling each other of this and that about their lives, small things that make up a part of who each of them were, of no consequence in the scheme of things but important in the process of getting to know one another. 

Summer yawned and apologised. ‘Sorry, I am just a bit tired. It was a late night last night.’ He stood pulling her up to him. ‘Come on, I better be getting you home. I don’t want you tired again tomorrow.’ 

She stood for a moment looking around at the scene, his eyes watching her then she looked at him. He put his arms around her and hugged her to his chest, kissing her hair. ‘You know,’ he said lightly enough but with real feeling in the timbre of his voice, ‘this is the most I have ever told anyone about myself, ever in my life.’ 

She looked up at him slightly startled. ‘Thank you,’ was all she said and they made their way to the car and headed back to her apartment. ‘Do you want to come in for a coffee, just a coffee right?’ she laughed as she echoed last nights conversation, this time not fumbling with the keys. 

‘Can I give you a hand?’ he asked as he walked casually into the kitchen. ‘You got any more of those chocolates luv?’ he grinned as he walked straight to the fridge and grabbed the open box knowing full well exactly where she kept them. 

They sat on the couch as they had last night, sipping their coffee and just enjoying the relaxed feelings they had with each other, totally different to the night before. ‘So, here we are again,’ she said as she offered him a chocolate. ‘Yep, here we are again,’ he laughed before getting serious.  
‘Summer, I…’ She looked at him waiting to for him to go on. ‘Summer I …’ she was trying to look encouraging but she could see that he was struggling for words. ‘Gery what is it, what are you trying to say?’

‘I don’t want to go home,’ he blurted out in a rush. Her heart was beating fast. She had felt so relaxed, so much more comfortable with him tonight. Things seemed to have been going at a slower pace but now, with this declaration, the adrenalin rushed through her again.

He was watching her reaction and his heart was beating just as fast as hers. He felt that what ever the next thing she said was going to be, it would set him straight one way or the other. He wanted her to speak but at the same time was scared of what she might say. He felt like what he imagined a love sick kid would feel like.

‘I don’t want you to go home either but I am not ready for what I think you want.’ She held up her small hand to stop him from saying anything. ‘I understand that you are probably used to getting into bed whenever, and with whoever, you want but that’s not me, that’s not what I want out of life. I understand that if you aren’t prepared to wait then it’s my loss. You can have anyone Gery, I don’t see why you would want to wait to have me.’

 

‘Can I stay in the spare room?’ he answered immediately.

 

‘I’ll go make up the bed right now’ she smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Dim light filtered through the drawn drapes. Summer stirred, sleepily opening her eyes unsure at first what had disturbed her in her sleep then she quickly realised she was in bed and she was not alone. Gery lay next to her curled around her body like a second skin, his knees pulled up moulding into her foetal shape as she had slept. His arm was threaded under her arm with his hand cradling her breast, his sensuous fingers curled around her cupping her softly, his hardness pressing into her back. 

Last night came flooding back to her like a bad dream. Gery had yet another function to attend and he wasn’t happy about it. He had done everything that he could to get out of it. He hated going out now without Summer. Once the party of boy of the local scene, his absence had been commented on, only his smooth talking his publicist into believing that he was on a strict workout and health kick regime had put rest some of the speculation regarding his change of habits. 

He was certainly looking fantastically fit. Summer loved fresh fruits, vegetables and eating healthy. Gery loved Scotch Eggs and missed his sometimes stodgy calorie laden English cuisine but she had introduced him to a new way of looking at food and just in those few short weeks that they had been together, he was feeling and looking great and to Summers eyes, even hotter than she had ever imagined possible.

He was also getting more exercise as they had discovered a walking track up in the hills that not many frequented and whenever they could, they would take a power walk together, taking the time to talk about their day at work or just talking about life. They talked and talked, sharing anything and everything about themselves with each other and just couldn’t get enough of the time they spent alone together away from the hustle and bustle and falseness of Tinsel Town.

They loved it and enjoyed being in each other's company, it centred both of them. It also had the added bonus of tiring them and taking their minds off the one thing that neither of them had dared broach, the one thing that had become so challenging; sex.

Gery was trying hard to respect Summer’s boundaries. When he had asked if he could stay with her no one could have been more surprised than he was. He did not normally make such a spontaneous decision, his feelings for Summer were not the normal feelings that he felt though and he was pretty amazed that she had agreed. In fact, he was more than amazed, he was chuffed. 

She had made it plain that she was not ready to bed him and he had to live with that. He hoped in time that she would see that he was not the person his reputation had led everyone to believe. That wasn’t actually true though, he had to be honest with himself, he did have a reputation that was well earned but that was over now and he wanted to prove that to her and to himself. He wanted her to trust him.

He was annoyed about having to go out tonight and Artie had insisted that this was one evening that he couldn’t get out of attending full stop, end of story. He had convinced him that it may help get him a role in a new movie coming up that was based on the latest number one selling book, one that Gery had read and would kill to play the main lead, an assassin hit man for a UK based criminal organisation, sort of a Jason Bourne meets Lock, Stock and Barrel scenario. 

‘I should be back around eleven at the latest,' he had told Summer as he lightly kissed her before leaving. He looked wonderful in his black dinner suit, he looked more than wonderful she was thinking, he looked amazing. 

He had been staying with her, sleeping in her spare room for nearly a month now, they were coming up to their first month anniversary in a couple of days and she smiled at the thought. In that time they had come to get to know each other and although Summer was unbelievable happy, she was keeping a lid on her feelings. She didn’t want to believe that she could be so lucky, it just didn’t seem real that he had become part of her life.  
She settled down for the night in front of her computer, using this opportunity to catch up on some sites that she liked to visit and to do some reading while he was gone, she had a secret passion that he didn’t know about and she intended keeping it that way. 

She was a bit surprised when by around eleven he wasn’t back but then she knew how these types of events could go on and on. By twelve, when he hadn’t returned she was getting annoyed. One o’clock came and went and she was totally pissed off with him but by two and still no Gery, she was in tears. 

She was kicking herself that she had ever believed in him, had began to trust him. She pictured him in bed with every woman that she could think of, betraying her. She wasn’t thinking clearly, she knew that she was being totally irrational or hoped so, but going on his past reputation, and with the way she was feeling, she couldn’t think any other way.

Why did she ever think that he would wait for her? She felt so totally stupid to have fallen for his charm. He had seemed so genuine, so different to everything that she had expected or believed. She knew different now. 

She went to bed, after all there was no point waiting up, he may not even be coming back tonight or ever, she thought and that hurt, it hurt her so much. She lay in bed and cried. She hadn’t been expecting anything much of her life, she’s been hurt so much by a previous relationship when she was younger that she had not gone looking for anyone.

She had made a new life and was reasonably satisfied with it even though she was lonely at times but better to be lonely than to go through having your heart shredded into tiny pieces and your self esteem crushed into minuscule fragments she told herself.

So she had just gotten on with things and thrown herself into her career, gone out with friends and developed her hobbies. She was okay with where her life was and where she was going, that was until Gery turned it up side down and she started to feel again. 

Now, she had a sick numb feeling of betrayal and that nauseating feeling of terror that she had lost something wonderful before it had even really begun. She cried herself to sleep. 

She had not heard Gery come in, she had been in a deep sleep. He had come in quietly, not wanting to disturb her. He had had one hell of a night and was so glad to get back to her. He had been prepared to be bored but he had not been prepared for Vanessa Coulsen to be there.  


He had worked with her on a movie a few years ago and they had the hottest sex that he had ever had in his life but that had been it. He was not interested in her, she was predatory and had scared the day light out of him when she had donned leather, sporting a whip and stilettos and attempted to tie him up. That was not his scene and he had considered it a lucky escape to be get away from her unscathed. 

She had made a bee line for him the minute she saw him tonight and he had cringed inwardly. Oh shite he was thinking to himself. There was no escape. 

‘Darling,’ she drooled all over him, ‘where are you hiding yourself these days, Larry said that you have simply dropped off the face of the earth. Now just exactly what are you up to and don’t tell me nothing, I know you better than that.’ She was positively gushing as she ran her hand down his back and squeezed his butt.

‘Vanessa, how pleasant to see you and where is Larry, I haven’t seen him in yonks?’ He was trying to sound as normal as possible to allay her suspicions while looking around for some kind of escape and not finding one. He was trapped. The night went on and on and was two hours late finishing up. As hard as he tried he could not get away, not even when he made the excuse of filming commitments could he flee. 

Vanessa latched on to him for the evening and insisted that he take her home to see Larry, her long suffering husband. Gery had been directed by Larry a number of times and considered themselves real friends. He was at home as he was in the middle of shooting a movie, directing the long awaited re teaming of Brad and Tom in a remake of Butch Cassidy and besides, Larry hated that entire social scene and had used it as the perfect excuse not to go. 

He had no sooner pulled up out the front of her palatial mansion than she pounced, throwing herself on him like a seagull on a chip. She had whipped off her seatbelt and draped herself across him barely before he had even turned off the ignition and now, she had one hand wrapped around his neck like a Boa Constrictor and the other attempting to unzip him while she chewed ferociously on his ear.

When he made no response to her she berated him. ‘Come on Gery, you know just how good I am in the sack, you know how much I turned you on, remember that room we had in Mexico when we were on location. You were hard for a week. I know that you want me, you always do.’

Gery really had to think fast, he certainly did not want to have to explain to someone like her why he was just not interested in. ‘Vanessa thanks but no thanks. I am older now and Larry is a mate, you do understand don’t you?’ He had responded as smoothly as possible without giving her any inkling as to what was really going on in his life and, even though he was not in the least tempted, he didn’t want to hurt her or Larry. Larry was a mate, he had been sincere when he said it and was fairly horrified by Vanessa’s betrayal but really, not at all surprised. 

She was furious. ‘You would put your "mateship" with Larry before screwing me?’ she fumed. ‘Are you kidding me? You didn’t do much thinking about Larry when we fucked ourselves stupid south of the border,’ she spat out at him. ‘You weren’t married then,’ he replied sharply. ‘Hah and just when did that ever stop you before?’

Neither one of them had noticed that Larry, having heard a car pull up, had come out of the house, he knew it would be Vanessa and had come to see what was keeping her. He had heard and seen everything, Gery’s convertible not giving any privacy. ‘Gery, thanks,’ he said, and giving him a look of appreciation he opened the door and took Vanessa firmly by the arm and escorted her inside. 

On the drive home Gery had a lot to think about. Vanessa had been right. It was the hottest sex he had ever had. Any other time in his life hell, he would have been in her panties before she had even had time to think, she had always had him wanting more when they were together until she had played the Madam Lash card on him but it didn’t matter to him now. All he could think about was how he couldn’t wait to get home to Summer.  


He was over half way back to her apartment when he got a flat tyre. It took him some time to change it and by the time he got home Summer was in bed as it was so late. 

He had opened her bedroom door and looked in at her sleeping, having no intentions of anything other than to see if she was asleep but she was uncovered and as he went to pull the covers up she had murmured his name. 

He just wanted to hold her so much that as he had undressed as soon as he got in, he could not resist and he slipped under the covers. He knew that it was breaching everything that he had promised himself he wouldn’t do, giving her space, letting her decide if they were ever to take that side of their relationship any further, and above all, wanting to win her trust. 

But he could not help him self and he really only wanted to hold her, nothing more until she was ready. She had moved a little as he curled himself around her, making small sounds that he couldn’t make out. He had lain awake just basking in the pleasure of holding her to him before drifting off to sleep too. 

That was how she came to wake in the morning finding him in her bed. She gasped when she realised he was there with her. He had come back to her. 

All her doubts, anger and fears from the night before vanished, forgotten in the relief of feeling him next to her. She lay gently crying she was so relieved. She didn’t expect the force of her feelings to have such an emotional pull on her but they did. 

Gery had woken and heard her, nuzzling her and holding her closely to him. ‘What is it?’ he asked her softly. ‘You came back, I thought that you were gone.’ ‘How could you think that I wouldn’t, and why would you think that? Summer, don’t you know by now how I feel about you?’ 

‘I … I didn’t think’ she was hesitating, stumbling over the words that she wanted to say, wanted to tell him. ‘Summer,’ he was whispering gently into her ear as he nuzzled her, ‘Summer, trust me,’ he was urging her, his voice breaking he so desperate to have her believe in him. 

He was still holding her, his hands feeling the softness of her body and the heat of her skin. Just the thought of lying there with her sent a thrill through him, making him shake. ‘Please,’ he almost pleaded with her. He could feel her heart skip a beat then race, her body tense then relax and tense again. 

‘Please Summer’. 

She rolled over and onto her side to face him, her silky hair was brushing his face as they lay with their faces only inches apart now. She was looking into his eyes and was shocked to see tears in them as he said again, ‘Please, trust me.’ 

Slowly and deliberately, she leant in and brushed his lips, running her tongue over his lips invitingly, sending a wave of overwhelming desire through them both. Gery hesitated for a moment but when she opened her mouth, her tongue caressing his, at the same time entwining her silky tanned leg over his, rolling onto her back and pulling him with her, he responded, deepening their kiss. 

‘Wait,’ she said panting as she pulled off her nightie, ‘I want to feel your skin against me’. He drew a long breath, his arms shaking as he supported himself, his body against hers. ‘Oh god, you are so very beautiful,’ he groaned as he looked at her breasts for the first time. 

He was throbbing painfully, just the touch of his body on hers was enough to push him close to his climax. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He kissed her neck, trailing his sensuous hands down her sleek body. He cupped her now naked breasts in his hands as he kissed her hardened nipples, sucking each in turn so softly. 

He wanted to explore her glorious body, to feel her and be felt. He began to trail kisses down her stomach and across her hips but she was so desperate for him that she reached out, running her hands through his hair, lifting his head to look straight into her eyes.  


Her mouth was parted, she was breathing rapidly and the look on her face was pure want. ‘I do, I do trust you,’ she whispered to him pulling him up to her, wrapping her legs around him, she was ready.

Gery’s painfully throbbing body woke him in the middle of the night. He sat up in bed breathing hard, his heart was racing and he was sweating. Reaching out to the other side of the bed he realised it was empty then he realised it was only a dream, he had been dreaming he was making love to Summer and he groaned. It had just been a dream but it had seemed so real, he wanted it to be real. 

He was hard and desperately needed relief and slipped his hands under the covers, he knew that he could relieve himself in a matter of moments he was so desperate but, he had made up his mind that he had something to prove not just to Summer but to himself too, so he stopped before even starting.

He wanted to prove that what he was feeling for her was real, that this really was different to anything that he had ever felt before so he had made a promise to himself to practice restraint but lord, he hadn’t bargained on his mind playing this kind of trick on him, wasn’t it bad enough just being so close to her and now, this dream sent him into an even needier place. 

He sighed, how the hell was he ever going to get to sleep now? He needed something to take his mind of his present condition and that was when he started to make a plan for something that he thought would give them both pleasure. He was still working out details in his head when he abruptly fell asleep.

The last thing that he had been thinking before drifting off was the look on Summers face when she saw what he had planned. He was smiling sweetly to himself as his eyes closed and he fell into a dreamless deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The following day Summer noticed that Gery was a little quieter than usual, as though he had something on his mind. The dream from the previous night had really rocked him and made him think, and he just could not shake it off. 

He had previously bedded Vanessa Coulsen and although she had not been the predatory creature she was in his dream and she was not married to Larry, who was actually a mate, he knew that it was all just symbolic imagery, more or less his mind testing him. In the cold harsh light of day, if he had really been in that position would he have passed the test or would he have been unfaithful to Summer? 

It had all seemed so real, even the way he had felt that she saw him and still doubted him. He couldn’t get past the fact that he did have a reputation and he had played around a lot but, that was then and what he felt for her now was far beyond just a passing flirtation, a ‘got to get into her panties’ type of challenge. He knew that it was different and he hoped that she would too with time. He sighed to himself, maybe his surprise would help, he certainly hoped so. 

They had been together for one month now, Gery staying in Summer’s apartment, sleeping in her spare room, only going home to get his clothes, check his messages and pick up mail. 

As much as they could, they went out but not to the normal around the town restaurants and night spots for obvious reasons and anyway, neither of them were really interested in that scene, preferring to just be together some where quiet so they could really enjoy each others company.

On the nights that Gery had official ‘Tinsel Town’ stuff to do, as he called it, Summer would catch up with friends or stay home and work on her art work. That was another thing that they had become absorbed with, both of them happily spending hours together creating various pieces for the other’s enjoyment. 

When she had arrived home the night after they had first met she had found a delivery waiting for her and had been over the moon when she opened the package to find a graphics tablet with a simple card enclosed that read - ‘Create’ and it had been hand signed: Gery  


She had been thrilled, firstly with the tablet then, because he had taken the trouble to not only go out and get this for her, that in itself was so thoughtful, but because he had signed it himself and not sent some lackey to do his bidding. 

It had gone a long way in making her think about what kind of a person he really was and whether this was just a ploy to get into her pants or whether he really was genuine. That night was the night that they had gone to the beach and things had changed, she had begun to trust him a little. 

Now a month down the track she was an expert using it. He would praise her enthusiastically whenever he came in from yet another boring function, delighting in her latest creation. If a lot of them seemed to involve images of him that she had taken, well she couldn’t help herself. It was understandable, he was so extremely handsome and in her eyes at least, he was a little like a child, his enthusiasm for life like a kids in that whatever he did, he just went ahead and did it enjoying it to the maximum.

Like wise, he was no mean photographer himself and was building up a collection of candid shots of her. Quite simply put, they were besotted with each other and yet, they still had not been to bed together, not taken their relationship that one step further, both of them a little scared of changing what they had and neither sure of the other’s true feelings and if truth be told, they were shy, they hadn’t even told each other how they really felt.

This last analysis of Gery would have had friends, and previous bed partners, rolling on the floor with laughter or speechless with incredulity but that was exactly what he was like around her. After the first exhibition on the day they met, he was at pains not to repeat the performance. He was not only embarrassed about his actions and reactions that day at the studio but he was also ashamed and he was determined not to let anything like that happen again. 

Now this had an extraordinary effect on him. Under normal circumstances if he was around a woman that he fancied he made it perfectly obvious but with Summer he was always modestly covered or fully dressed. He made sure to actually think before he said anything and was a considerate house guest.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t being himself for he was, he was finally able to be himself and not play the part of the play boy that everyone expected him to be and that in itself was such a relief to him after years of being someone that he really wasn’t. When he smiled now over some small shared moment, it was a genuinely warm smile and not the smirk of the former man about the town Gery, he was in fact more like the sweet person who had thrown caution to the wind and risked leaving friends and family and moving from the UK to the states to follow a dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One thing that Artie, Gery’s agent, had done for him for which he was eternally grateful, was a clause in his contract stipulating days off each month, filming permitting. As they had been filming for a month now and were about to shoot scenes out of town that he was not needed for, Gery opted to take the week off starting this weekend. 

Summer too had the week off luckily as she was not going on the location shoot. She had told Goldie that she would be going out of town to visit an ill cousin and left her on Friday night with a smile on her face. Gery had asked her to go away for the week together and she was looking forward to it. This was the plan that he had started to formulate in the hours after his dream and he was excited, he just wanted to be with her and away from everything, it was important to him and he wanted it to be perfect. 

He had been a little secretive about their destination, but she didn’t care where they were going, just being together away from the deception and subterfuge they were under trying to keep their relationship a secret would be a relief.

They left early on the Saturday morning and drove for hours. Gery was a speed freak and just loved driving fast. He was delighted to find that Summer was a fan of Formula One racing and so she loved the feel of the convertible with its top down and the wind racing past them, handling the corners with ease, smoothly riding over the narrow mountain track that Gery had taken towards the end of the trip.

When they finally arrived at their destination Summer was amazed. ‘How did you find this place?’ she looked around stunned. They were outside a cabin in a clearing surrounded by tall pines on three sides of a steep rise. In front of them was a lake of crystal clear water sparkling with the rays of the late afternoon sunshine. 

To the right the banks of the lake curved around through the trees where, in the distance, a waterfall with a cascading stream fed from somewhere above flowed into the lake. On the opposite side of the cabin the view was of mountains, their peaks glowing with yellow tips in the setting sun.  


While Summer had stood there taking in the surrounds, Gery unloaded the car and put the bags inside, checked to make sure there was plenty of firewood in the grate as the nights were freezing there and made sure the food he had arranged to be delivered had arrived safely.

Once finished he walked over to where she was still standing, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him as he stood behind looking out over the lake. ‘Tomorrow we can go for a hike up to the water fall and then do some exploring,’ he smiled and rubbed his cheek in her hair.  


‘Can you smell the air, it’s clean and fresh and you can breath,’ she said as she held his arms to her, responding to the gentle squeeze he had given her. ‘You still haven’t told me, how did you ever find this place?’ 

He told her how a few years back he’d been in a movie shot there. The owner had allowed them to build the cabin on the proviso that it be a real working cabin and not just a set. The producers had wanted the location so badly they had agreed and Gery being Gery, he had befriended the owner to the extent that by the time the movie had been shot, he had somehow managed to get an open invitation to use it when ever he wanted.  


Summer was laughing at the story, that would figure, only Gery could come out on top like that. ‘You wait till you see the sunrise. The light hits the waterfall and it is amazing,’ his enthusiasm was infectious. 

‘Has everyone else that comes up here been as blown away as I am?’ she asked. He looked slightly embarrassed before answering. ‘I don’t know. I have never bought anyone else here. I have never wanted to share this with anyone else before,’ he said and he hugged her to him even tighter. She turned to face him, looking him square in the eyes searching them. ‘No one?’ He shook his head ‘Nope, no one.’

She reached up and kissed him ‘Thank you for sharing this, it’s has a special beauty here that I won’t forget.' He nuzzled her. ‘Let’s get in side and I’ll show you around.’

The cabin may have looked rustic from the outside but the inside had an all modern layout with an open plan style. It was tastefully furnished and comfortably appointed. There were two focal points on the lower floor, one was a huge stone fire place reaching up through the ceiling above that Summer was sure you could fit half a tree into. Even in the warmer months the nights became chilly quite quickly and the winter months brought snow to the mountains opposite so although it had been a beautiful day, the chill in the air was already setting in. 

Gery lit a fire and had it blazing while Summer pottered around in the kitchen area getting dinner prepared. They were both hungry and tired and couldn’t wait to eat and settle down for the evening in front of the fire. 

The fireplace continued upstairs in the mezzanine like bedroom area and Gery went up and lit that too so the room would be warm for later. He looked at the large double bed and closed his eyes. He hoped but dared not to even think about it. He was not about to throw away what he had with Summer by pressuring her and he just couldn’t even dare to think of the dream he had just a few nights previously. He sighed to him self, he could wait he thought and went down stairs again.

The other feature was a total surprise, as it was not the kind of thing that you would expect to see in a log cabin for sitting in the corner of the room a small black baby grand piano stood, sheet music open and ready to play. Her heart literally skipped a beat at the sight of it and her mind automatically flew back to the first time she had watched Gery in a scene from the movie that he had made which had cemented his career as one of the most sought after leading men in romantic movies. 

He had been sizzling hot, sang like there was no tomorrow and ended up getting the girl all because he seduced her with his singing and playing. She shook herself and tried hard not to think about it but that scene, wow it had sure been powerful and at the time had a long lasting effect on her and half the world’s female population. 

She was still thinking about it and thinking of Clair, her closest of friends, while making dinner. Clair had been with her the night they had gone to see the movie and over coffee afterwards both had a fan girl moment discussing just how incredibly hot that scene was, what a beautiful voice he had and, how much both of them would have enjoyed getting into the sack with him and what exactly they would do if they had the chance. She was pinching herself even now, here she was with this incredible man and resisting him. She shook her head in slight disbelief. What would Clair be saying if she knew she wondered? 

While she prepared the food she glanced over occasionally to watch him sitting on the floor in front of the fire on the thick fur rug, laptop open studying his lines for future scenes. He had promised her that this would be the only time he did any work on the trip and once done with, he intended to stick to his promise. 

She had not seen him this relaxed before. He looked like a little kid playing on the rug in front of the fire waiting for Mum to call him for tea. She laughed at herself when she thought of this as it had taken her a while to get used to some of Gery’s sayings, ‘tea’ was dinner and she was ‘putting the kettle on for a cuppa’ when she made coffee. 

Some things she still couldn’t fathom like the night they had been watching something on TV and the main heroine on the show had done something really crazy and he had said she was a ‘silly moo’. After asking him to speak in English he laughed and had explained what it meant and she had laughed too. He also had to explain what ‘sod off' and ‘knackered’ meant. She just loved it. 

She was smiling to herself at that thought when he looked up. ‘And what do you think you are smiling about?’ he queried lightly. ‘You,’ she said grinning. ‘I was just thinking how much you looked like a little kid sitting there.’ He grinned. ‘I just love it here and I love it that you are here with me,’ he smiled back at her. 

She was a little quiet over dinner but Gery didn’t notice. She looked across at him several times, her face softening as his eyes met hers and he would stop eating and reach for her hand, then smile and give her that cheeky wink of his. They finished eating and she began to clear up.  


‘Let me help with those, it’s only fair that I do the dishes seeing you cooked.’ Having taken their time, it was after ten o’clock now. ‘No that’s fine. How about tomorrow night you cook instead and besides, I am nearly finished and won’t be too much longer.’ ‘Deal’ he said. 

Gery wandered over and sat down at the piano and began to play randomly, picking at different pieces until he looked across to Summer as she pottered around the kitchen and nodding to himself, he began playing in earnest, singing out in full voice. 

*Girl I've known you very well  
I've seen you growing everyday  
I never really looked before  
but now you take my breath away.

Suddenly you're in my life  
part of everything I do  
you got me working day and night  
just trying to keep a hold on you.

Here in your arms I found my paradise  
my only chance for happiness  
and if I lose you now I think I would die.  
Oh say you'll always be my baby  
we can make it shine, we can take forever  
just a minute at a time.

More than a woman, more than a woman to me  
more than a woman, more than a woman to me  
more than a woman, oh, oh, oh.

There are stories old and true  
of people so in love like you and me  
and I can see myself  
let history repeat itself.

Reflecting how I feel for you  
thinking about those people then  
I know that in a thousand years  
I'd fall in love with you again.

This is the only way that we should fly  
this is the only way to go  
and if I lose you I know I would die.  
Oh say you'll always be my baby  
we can make it shine, we can take forever  
just a minute at a time.

More than a woman, more than a woman to me  
more than a woman, more than a woman to me  
more than a woman….

Gery’s voice trailed off into silence as he looked down at the piano keys in thought. 

Summer had stopped in the middle of what she was doing and stood still, listening to his playing and his beautiful voice. She was mesmerised. When he had finished singing she still could not move. He looked up and across the room at her and winked that wink of his, throwing her a smile. ‘I think that I will just grab a shower then,’ he said as got up and headed for the downstairs bathroom. 

By now Summer was used to Gery’s showering habits. He just loved to shower she’d noticed. She was glad that he had gone, she had been giving a lot of thought to things and needed a bit of time to herself. He never ceased to amaze her now. He was nothing like what she had thought him to be. That very first day when he had been so deliberately provocative she had really thought that was par for the course and that he really did live up to his reputation but now, that was not how she saw him at all and with every day that they spent together she discovered yet another side to him.

And she liked him, she liked him a lot. He wasn’t the smooth polished debonair man around town who could talk the talk when he was with her, he was just Gery. He was sweet and considerate and when she thought about it, he was really caring and he was fun. They were always laughing and sharing, loved doing the same things, had the same interests even, much to her surprise the same views on life and on death and what, if anything, came after. 

When they weren’t together they were texting each other, craving that one on one contact, neither of them wanting to really be apart from the other and both always thinking of each other regardless of where or what they were doing at the time. They had it bad.

Shaking herself out of her reverie she hurried upstairs and jumped into the shower in the en-suite. She knew that he would be a while yet and she wanted to be out and back downstairs before he had finished. She had glanced at the big double bed on her way past. She stopped for a moment and thought about what it would be like to lay with him and to wake up in the morning in his arms. Her whole body tingled at the thought and she flushed all over before hurrying down stairs.

‘Babes did you pack any of that moisturiser that you use luv?’ he was asking as he came out wrapped in his long pink bathrobe that matched hers. She’d given it to him for their one month anniversary just before leaving this morning, more as a joke than for any other reason other than the thought of him running around in her short one that first night drove her to distraction. Plus, she teased, he rocked pink. 

He was towel drying his hair as he walked out but then stopped dead in his tracks. Summer had turned the lights in the room off and had left a small lamp on over in the corner, the only other light being the glow from the fire. Soft music was playing from the entertainment unit, a favourite song that they both had fallen in love with years before, Chris Issak’s Wicked Game, and they had discovered that they both had played it over and over at the time it was a hit. But that wasn’t what had pulled Gery up short and made him draw a breath. 

Summer was lying on the rug in front of the fire with her back towards him, her silhouette lit by the gentle red glow. Turning to look over her shoulder, she stretched out her hand for him to take, looking him in the eyes. 

She had nothing on and Gery’s legs turned to water.


	7. Chapter 7

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.  
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.  
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.  
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you.

No, I don't want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
No, I don't want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
With you (This world is only gonna break your heart)

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.  
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and,

I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
With you.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.  
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.  
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you.  
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you,

No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
With you (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
No, I... (This world is only gonna break your heart)  
(This world is only gonna break your heart)

Nobody loves no one.

The soft music in the back ground was running through them as they looked at one another. Gery knew that Summer had been so very scared to let go of her fears, she could not let her self go easily, previous hurts can do that do you, cut you off from feeling or trusting again, stifling your heart with its barrier of cynicism until the walls that you have built up are so thick they are impenetrable. 

He knew that when they met that was how she felt. She had walled her self up in a cocoon to protect her from hurt. He didn’t blame her or what she had done to keep him at a distance, he had deserved it given his reputation. He had tried so hard to show her though that he wasn’t there to hurt her or betray her, that he too had not been looking for this, it had just happened and he had hoped that she would come to realise that with time, and realise that he was sincere and now….. 

He swallowed hard. His heart was beating erratically. There was a pounding in his ears and he was breathing fast. He walked over slowly almost in a trance, he couldn’t take his eyes off her as he took her outstretched hand and kneeled down in front of her. 

The firelight made her skin glow, her soft curves clearly visible in the light and shadows the fire cast through the room. She looked so small and delicate and like something out of a Bote celli painting. He was in awe and wanted her madly. He felt that if he ever lost her he would break, his heart would break and he could not go on. He had never felt like this before. 

‘Are you sure?’ he whispered to her tenderly, ‘are you really sure?’ She gave a small nod as she held his hand to her lips. ‘I couldn’t be more sure of anything in my life,’ she said without any hesitation as she untied the belt of his robe letting it fall open and reached inside to slide it off his shoulders. 

He was still kneeling in front of her but she had turned now and was sitting up with her legs either side of him. As his robe fell away she looked at his muscular chest, a sight that she had seen a thousand times hanging on her wall but now, that meant nothing. Right here and right now were the only things that were real to her. 

They drank in the sight of each others bodies, he was enthralled, his excitement palpable. She was in awe remembering the feel of his skin in her small hands. They sat staring at each other, willing each other to make the first move but so hesitant that neither did. 

There would be no turning back for them and neither wanted any. For Gery her decision was not just a final physical conquest, this was deeper than anything that he had ever experienced before. He had never had to wait so long to bed anyone in his life but that was not what this was about. This was about trust and she was showing him just how much she really did trust him. Nothing in his whole life had come close to touching his heart as this very moment did and he was overwhelmed by it. 

For Summer well, she had looked at this man, part rogue and part child as she saw him and she had resisted. She had fought long and hard not to care for him, not to let him catch her off guard, not to let him get under her skin but she knew that she was only fooling herself if she thought that she could be without him now. She had realised that this was not the glamorous beauty hanging on her bedroom wall; that was the image of the outer shell that millions adored, but this sensitive caring man in front of her was a gentle and soft soul, needing happiness just as much as the rest of us do. He warmed her heart and touched her in ways that she had not felt for a long time nor had she expected. 

The tenderness he was feeling for her fairly flowed out of him like a river. He couldn’t look at her trusting face without feeling his heart full of absolute pure joy, excitement coursed through him on so many different levels. After waiting for her for what had seemed so long he now could not believe that this beautiful woman was his, here in his arms, willingly ready to give her heart to him. He was so very humbled by it. 

Still searching each others eyes while sitting perfectly still, the feelings that were running through both of them set their hearts racing, the lines of the song playing in the background seemed to permeate through them and say everything that neither of them could: I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you…. I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you.

As if by some unspoken signal they came together, his hand on her face gently caressing her cheek, mouths searching for each other. Holding her back for support, with his other hand he laid her down, supporting his body with his muscular arms, giving a tiny grunt like sigh as he felt her naked body full against him for the first time. 

Gone was any previous embarrassment either had towards the other. This was the moment both of them had been thinking of since they met. Looking down from above her face, again his eyes questioned her. Was this right for them, would things change, neither wanted anything to change between them but it would of course and both of them were apprehensive but both of them knew, they wanted this to happen, it was meant to be and it had to happen like this, right at this moment and nothing, nothing else mattered and nothing else ever could or would.

Lifting her shoulders she reached up and found his lips again as a mark of reassurance to him, at the same time wrapping her legs around his waist. He kissed her mouth, her face, and her eyes. He trailed kisses down her neck, across her collar bones and gently, as lightly as he could, he trailed kisses across her breasts, skimming her hard nipples with his tongue then gently sucking them, just as he had in his dream. 

They went slowly, exploring each other, touching places that both had longed to and dreamt of then finally, when both of them knew this was bigger than them, more meaningful than anything else in their lives had ever been, when both were beyond holding back any longer, she took him in her small hand and guided him gliding into her silky flesh. 

Gery had been to bed with a lot of women, he had enjoyed most of them but he had never wanted anyone as much as he had wanted Summer. It was more than want or lust, he needed her and he wanted to be part of her as much as she wanted to be part of him.

He wasn’t sure why, but he did. He wanted her so much that now as he felt her soft flesh around him, he was overcome with the emotions of it all. He had trembled at the touch of her hand, his muscular arms shook, his breath coming in short pants and he closed his eyes and swallowed hard again. 

He remained still. ‘Is something wrong’ Summer asked looking trustingly up at him, gently questioning him. He looked at her face, she was so beautiful to him, and he wanted her terribly. ‘Gery take me, I want you to take me. I want you to make love to me,’ and she began rocking into him, reassuringly, nurturing his need, encouraging him. That was too much for him, he knew that her trust was finally complete and he slowly thrust into her. 

‘I love you Summer’ he said softly into her ear, his body moving with a slow rhythm now, Summer’s body responding to his. The days and nights of denial were over, the waiting, the doubt all gone. This was right, this was what they both had waited for and wanted. 

His lips found hers, his tongue probing in rhythm to his thrusts as they became more intense, more abandoned, Summer whimpering with the need for completion. Her voice set him on fire, he was moaning too as finally with a rush of excitement neither could hold back any longer, both reached their climax together with an intensity that left them panting for breath and their hearts pounding. 

Lying in each others arms Gery’s voice shook with conviction as he played absentmindedly with her hair. ‘I love you, I meant it Summer I was not just saying it, you know that don’t you?’ She rolled on her side and looked at him. ‘I know’ and she laid her head on his chest. ‘I love you too, you know that don’t you, you know that I do too don’t you?’ she asked. ‘I didn’t until tonight’ he brushed his long delicate hand along her cheek. ‘I wanted to believe that so very much but I wasn’t sure of it, I didn’t know and didn’t dare to dream it. I know now that you do.’

That night they made love for hours, holding each other, reaching out for each other in a way that was beyond just the physical, until finally spent, they fell asleep in each others arms. 

‘Good morning sleepy head’ Gery kissed Summer’s hair as she stretched out in his arms smiling. She rolled over and looked at him. ‘What time is it?’ she looked across to the window to see soft sunshine pouring through the curtains. ‘What does it matter, we have all the time in the world, well for at least one whole week that is.’ He was holding her close to him and playing with her hair as it fell across his chest, running the silky strands through his fingers. He was fascinated by it.

She smiled at him ‘This is heaven, tell me that I haven’t died and gone to heaven.’ He leant in and kissed her ‘If you have, then I have too’ he whispered into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. ‘Hmm, Gery’ she purred, her voice and the tone of it sent shivers through him. ‘Was I worth the wait’ she asked timidly. ‘Luv, if I waited all my life for you it would be worth it. Summer, have I told you I love you today?’ 

His voice was soft, husky, and full of feeling and total honesty. ‘Gery, have I told you that I love you too? That I wanted you from the moment you pulled that ridiculous commando line not to mention the towel thing. Oh and then there is the “whoops I spilt the bottle on my clothes poor me” stunt’ she teased. Gery groaned. ‘Rub it in, you have no idea how I felt. Just you being around turned me into a sodding disaster area. That’s just one of the effects that you have on me’ he smiled. ‘Oh yes and what are some of the others might I ask?’ 

He took her small hand and moved it down his body until he reached the other effect that she was having on him. She gasped at just how much of an effect he was feeling. ‘You know I have been lying awake like this for the last hour just hoping that you would wake up?’ Her body tingled at his words. ‘It’s no wonder you have won awards for the magic that you can perform with your hands, that’ he said nodding to where her hand was gently moving under the covers, ‘that is proof that you have the most talented hands that I know of’ he breathed heavily, gathering her into his arms and crushing her lips to his. 

Without breaking their kiss she delighted him when she rolled him onto his back and straddled him. He was looking up at her and marvelling at just how wonderful she looked in the mornings, her hair tousled, and her face without make up, just natural and simply glowing. She smiled shyly at him as he ran his eyes over her, tracing his fingers down her throat then across her delicate collar bones, running them down the centre of her chest and smoothly gliding over to her breasts, cupping them in his hands before pulling her forward to take each nipple and gently tease it with his tongue. 

She lent forward and kissed him deeply, her soft warm skin against him, caressing him with her body as he found her, taking her slowly, gently and with a tenderness that dissolved her heart. They had all the time in the world, they had found each other for what ever reasons and now they had joined together, loving each other and loving being in love with each other, finally admitting it to themselves that by this simple act of sharing their trust for each other they could not be apart. 

‘What would you like for breakfast’ she asked him as they lay there in each other arms. ‘You’ he said hopefully. She poked him, ‘You have already had me, think of something else,’ she laughed. ‘Can’t help it, I am a greedy guts, I want more. I will always want more of you.’ She poked him again playfully. ‘Well Mr greedy guts, you can’t have more of me, so there,’ and ran her fingers playfully up his chest tickling him. ‘Heh no fair, I am extremely ticklish,’ he said laughing as he attempted to do the same to her. 

Summer dissolved into fits of laughter, ‘No, Gery no, I give in. Oh please stop’ she begged him. ‘Ah hah, so I have found your week spot, you my little luv, you are hopelessly ticklish’ he said with glee. She managed to free her hands and reaching under his arms and began to tickle him back in earnest. This time it was Gery’s turn to beg for mercy and it also gave her the opportunity to break away, leap off the bed and run for the protection of the en – suite, but Gery was quick as lightening and before she could close the door he had her pinned to the tiled wall next to the spa bath. 

They were both panting with their exertions and giggling hysterically as he drew her arms up above her head, holding her by the wrists with one hand with the intention of tickling her with the other, but before he could her eyes caught his in her spell and instead his hand ran down her smooth tanned skin and he reached behind her hips and pulled her hard into him. He tilted his head and leaning down found her lips, his hand dropping from her wrists freeing them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. He lightly lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, supporting her self against the wall as he held her with one hand and smoothly guided himself into her. 

This time there was no tenderness it was all lust and passion between them. The Genie had been unleashed from the bottle never to be corked again and they could not get enough of each other. 

By the time they had there fill of each other it was late morning and both of them were starving. Gery had planned to take Summer on a hike to the waterfall but it was an all day excursion so instead they threw some basics into his backpack and decided to head off into the pine forest surrounding the cabin but as Summer was just finishing up packing the prepared food he shyly handed her a gift wrapped box.

‘What’s this?’ she asked him surprised at the elaborately decorated wrapping. He was looking embarrassed and grinning like a fool. ‘Oh just a little something for our one month anniversary,’ he was saying rather bashfully. He was not used to being in this kind of situation. He was a generous person by nature but had never given gifts to any of the many women he had been with so his display of affection was leaving him unsure of himself. 

She carefully opened the parcel and nearly died. ‘Oh my god, you have to be kidding me! You bought me a Leica? Is this really for me, I mean you are just loaning it to me right, it’s your isn’t it?’ Her eyes were shining and the smile on her face was priceless. ‘It’s for you Babes,’ he was smiling with that shy smile that he got when caught out doing something really special for her.

She carefully put the camera down on the kitchen bench and threw her arms around him looking him in the eyes. ‘You bought this for me before we had even ….I don’t know what to say. No one has ever done anything this nice for me, never cared enough about me to do anything so wonderful.’ Tears were pouring down her face. ‘Heh, heh I don’t want to have this effect on you.’ He gently wiped the track of her tears with his fingers before going on. ‘Now come on, I want you to use it and take some of those remarkable pictures that I know you can. I love you Summer and even if we hadn’t… even if we never, well even if you were still unable to trust me it would not have made any difference to the way I feel about you.’

She was positively glowing under the spell of his words. He looked at her and knew that for the first time in his life he had found someone that he could be totally honest with, totally give his heart to and he loved it.


	8. Chapter 8

They spent the week exploring the nearby countryside and exploring each other. They would come back to the cabin each night after a day of hiking around and about, taking pictures or just holding hands, stopping here and there to stand in awe of the scenery or take some random snap of something that caught their eye. 

When they reached the cabin they would shower together before dinner, sensuously lathering each other’s body, touching and kissing and never tiring of each new sensation and memory. They wore very little when in doors, there was no point, nothing stayed on for long, laughing as he would wear her short robe and she would wear the longer of the two, provocatively undone and fanning out behind her as she walked around. 

Now that the first step had been taken between the two of them they couldn’t get enough of each other and were always in some kind of physical contact whether just holding hands, walking arm in arm or joined together in bed. 

They swam in the lake, dove from the waterfall or sat meditating on the high peaks. They crammed as much of the place in and as much of each other as they could, bottling up the memories to be revelled in at later times. It was heaven and both hated the thought of going back to normal life.   
Summer had sat breathless, stunned by the beauty of the waterfall the first day they had hiked there. They had left early in the morning just before dawn. Gery had insisted that they reach it as the first rays of sunlight hit the shimmering cascade, and he had been right. The soft light of the early morning had lit the water turning it into a melting rainbow of moving colour, each drop of water a universe within its self. 

He had sat looking at her face as she took picture after picture capturing glittering moments in time. ‘Oh Gery, it’s so beautiful,’ she said turning to him and drew in her breath when she saw his face lit by the same soft rays of the dawn. He was stunningly beautiful, his face held a quality that she had not seen in any photos taken of him before, there was something new, something that had previously been missing that now shone out of him and she knew that it was more than just the light playing tricks on her. She shook as she realised that it was because he was happy, she could see it shining out of him. He was the happiest he had ever been in his life.

‘What, what is it luv?’ he asked as he saw the expression on her face. ‘You, it’s you,’ she whispered to him. ‘Tell me what you were thinking just now, what was going through your mind?’ she asked him curiously. He looked at her and holding out his hand he drew her into him brushing her hair from her eyes. ‘I was thinking that I had never in my life told anyone one apart from Mum and Dad, I had never told anyone that I love them. I had never had a real relationship with anyone ….until you. Summer I love you so much,’ he whispered tenderly, tears glittering in his eyes.

They had lain in the sun holding each other, just loving each other and cherishing the moment. When the sun had become too hot they stripped and like two children had skinny dipped, diving into the calm warmed water of the rock pool at the side of the falls, splashing each other, diving and ducking away then swimming back to the other before trying to catch the other and dunk them. 

When Gery, the stronger swimmer of the two of them, when he finally caught her in his arms he hugged her to him. The water was warm and caressing their bodies like fingers massaging them gently. Summer felt his hardness against her and wrapped her legs around him, the water supporting their bodies with buoyancy that freed them. His arms were wrapped around her pulling her tightly against him, her arms around his neck and broad shoulders clung to him as she lifted herself up to meet his body. 

He swam them over to the shallows of the pool and still joined together they lay on the edge, the sun streaming down on them, the water lapping around their bodies as they took each other there in the natural beauty of the surrounds. It was a breath taking experience, so overwhelmingly at one with nature, so pure that they were both shaken by it. 

At night they would go through the snaps they had both taken, choosing their favourite, adjusting and enhancing, adding this and that until they both agreed that it was perfect and their absolute all time favourite until the next night when some new photo stole their heart. Time and again Summer came back to the pics she had taken of him at the waterfall, she had her favourite saved as her desktop background. She had captured something in that shot that was more than an image, it was a feeling and a revelation all rolled into one… it was quite simply the look of love and it touched her heart.   
The days melted into each other and flew by; the nights were sheer bliss for them both. They had discovered a cupboard that held boxes of board games, something that neither had played since they were children. They sat on the floor totally engrossed in playing Chinese Checkers, Snakes and Ladders and Monopoly, Gery discovering that Summer had a talent as a potential property investor and he some how always managed to win first prize in the beauty contest and get out of jail free. 

Summer accused him of cheating when they played Strip Jack Naked with the playing cards they had found because no matter what, she was the one that always seemed to end up with no clothes on much to his total delight. He insisted that after she had won at poker twelve times in a row that she must be counting cards and wanted to immediately leave for Las Vegas to make their fortune at the card tables. They were always laughing and poking fun at each others expense and teased each other mercilessly, nothing was sacred between them.

On their last night there they sat holding each other in front of the fire. There was no conversation they just wanted to sit quietly. He had cooked that night, introducing her to the delights of a bacon butty smothered in something that he called HP sauce. She loved it and laughed when he said it that he knew that she would because in his opinion it was heavenly and seeing she was such an angel it was only fitting that she liked it. 

‘You really are full of it aren’t you?’ she teased as she wiped sauce off his face where it had slopped out of the butty. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. ‘Have I told you that I love you today?’ he asked kissing her hand again. ‘You tell me that every time you look at me’ she responded patting his cheek and kissing his hand in turn. 

It had become a nightly habit of Gery’s now to play the piano for a while as she busied herself tidying up, which despite his protests she insisted on doing. He would sit at the piano and belt out this and that always finishing with something from the heart. She had laughed and come scurrying over to him the previous night, throwing her arms around him so hard he had nearly fallen from the piano stool as he sang:

*I don’t remember what day it was  
I didn’t notice what time it was  
All I know is that I fell in love with you  
And if all my dreams come true  
I’ll be spending time with you

Every day’s a new day in love with you  
With each day comes a new way of loving you  
Every time I kiss your lips my mind starts to wander  
And if all my dreams come true  
I’ll be spending time with you

Oh, I love you more today than yesterday  
But not as much as tomorrow  
I love you more today than yesterday  
But, darling, not as much as tomorrow

Tomorrow’s date means springtime’s just a day away  
Cupid, we don’t need ya now, be on your way  
I thank the lord for love like ours that grows ever stronger  
And I always will be true  
I know you feel the same way too

Oh, I love you more today than yesterday  
But not as much as tomorrow  
I love you more today than yesterday  
But only half as much as tomorrow

Now with the dishes done and every thing packed ready for an early start, they were enjoying this last time by the fire. ‘Gery’ she looked at him suddenly ‘do you want to move in properly, I mean really move in?’ His face lit up. ‘Do you mean it?’ She nodded ‘Yes of course I mean it, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. I know that compared to your place mine is pokey but it is comfortable and it’s safe from prying eyes and it’s not like you don’t know your way around.’ 

He grinned, ‘Oh yes, I do know my way around don’t I, Babes luv?’ he smirked as his fingers trailed down her throat lightly before taking her once again and finding that she was more than willing and ready to be had and he definitely knew his way around very well. 

The next morning, their last at the cabin, Summer woke stretching out for Gery but the bed was empty. She sat up suddenly feeling a sense of panic and was just about to call out for him when she saw him sitting in the chair next to the fireplace. His face wore an expression of extreme emotions and she was frightened by it. ‘What is it, what is the matter?’ He was looking at her with tears in his eyes and she felt tenseness about him, the way he was holding himself. ‘Gery what is it, you are scaring me?’ she urged. ‘I was watching you sleep,’ he replied quietly, his face crumpling. 

She flew out of bed and into his arms. He gathered her onto his lap and kissed her hair, her face, her mouth. ‘Oh Babes’ she sighed ‘you so scared me.’ He was looking into her aqua marine eyes mesmerised by them. ‘I don’t want to leave’ he was saying like a petulant child leaving a holiday house on their last day before returning to school. ‘Darling we have to go back, you know that we do.’ He sighed ‘Let’s get away, really get away I mean, just you and me. We could do anything that we wanted to do. We could start a photography business, you would like that wouldn’t you? Summer let’s do it.’

She looked at him unsure if he was joking or being serious. ‘Gery you know that you can’t do that, you can’t just give up your whole career’ she was really concerned that he was serious and had not thought of all the implications. ‘Look luv, I am sick and tired of making the kind of movies that I have been roped into over the last fifteen years for a start. They are such a crock of shite and sooner or later the public is going to wake up and find the next young thing and that will leave me with nothing. But that doesn’t matter, what matters to me right now, and is the only thing that really matters, is you. I just want to be with you’ his voice was husky, cracking with the emotions that were tearing through him. 

She sat there in his arms a little stunned realising that he was serious and that he had meant what he said. This was the last thing that she had been expecting and she didn’t know what to say. ‘Gery, you have the picture to finish, there is still at least ten weeks if not more of filming to go, how about we just take some time to think about this?’ He sighed again and kissed her. ‘You’re right. I know that we have to go back and I know that I can’t just walk away but Summer, I do want to be with you, I am serious you know.’ ‘I know. I don’t want us to leave here either and Gery, I am serious too.’ 

He brushed her hair out of her eyes, a habit he had that she loved and he wrapped his hands around her neck to pull her in for a kiss. ‘I love you Summer’ he said filling her mouth ‘I love you so very very much.’


	9. Chapter 9

‘Oh sod it’ Gery’s voice came floating out of the study. No longer his bedroom, they had converted it into a study for him where he could go over scripts and rehearse if he needed to. He had moved everything that he needed into her already small apartment, the fact that it was full to bursting neither noticed particularly. 

It suited him as he knew that it would have been impossible for her to move in with him, it would simply have caused too much publicity had they been found out and that was something that both of them did not want. Their relationship was too personal, too private. No one on or off the set, no one not even Goldie or Summer’s friend Clair knew of their relationship. 

They were coming up to two months together and were totally in love with each other but it was more than that, they were the closest of friends. They chided each other and teased mercilessly, laughed together and shared everything. They couldn’t bear being apart and couldn’t wait until they got home to just hold each other and be together on their own. 

Gery’s voice floating out of the study bought Summer to the door. ‘What is it, what’s up hun?’ she was asking him as she stood there watching his face. He was looking annoyed and upset. ‘I just can’t get these lines straight. Heh, would you mind just reading Felicia’s part, it would really help me out here? I want to have a heads up before Jennifer arrives on Friday so if you wouldn’t mind?’ He handed her the script and they set to work. 

Gery was totally amazed at how quickly Summer got into the moment. The script called for the role of Felicia, the ex girlfriend of Gery’s character Greg, to arrive unexpectedly on the scene, throwing his world into a turmoil.

The whole movie was set around the premise of a couple that were on the rebound from previous broken relationships, drifting in to a partnership that neither really wanted if they were both totally honest with each other, which they weren’t of course, and by sheer peer pressure, they had become engaged and are planning their wedding. Reluctantly on Greg’s part he was going through with it despite his doubt that was until Felicia shows up back in town.

Celia, Greg’s fiancée was also having her doubts when she meets Andreas a Swedish backpacker travelling through the small town on his way to Hollywood to be ‘discovered’. Celia falls for Andreas who in turn wants to conquer Felicia. Greg’s jealousy over Andreas and his pursuit of Felicia make him realise that he is still in love with her. 

It was a typical chick flick comedy romp with moments of extreme humour, longing, lost love and an under current of deep unresolved emotions.

The role of Felicia would be the turning point of the whole movie and Jennifer was due to arrive and start work at the end of the week. Gery had worked with her before. They had had several hit movies including Mr Gorgeous and the sequel, Mr and Mrs Gorgeous and the fans had been begging for more of them over the last two years so this project theoretically, was going to be a box office smash even before it was filmed. 

They worked on it for about two hours and by the time they called it a night Summer didn’t need a script, she was delivering lines like a pro. ‘You know,’   
Gery was saying as they were getting ready for bed, ‘you would make a great actress.’ 

She burst out laughing. ‘Now where on earth did that come from?’ she asked. ‘Don’t laugh you really would. You were really great doing that scene and think about it, no one at work even suspects us and that’s an accomplishment to your skill, really I am serious. Have you ever thought of doing any work?’ She poked him in the ribs, ‘Very funny’. ‘Babes luv,’ that was his pet nick name for her and she loved it so much, it just drove her wild, ‘Babes luv, I am serious. I want you to think about it. I know that you would be really good. Heh, anyone that can fool Goldie just has to be good right?’

Gery let it drop but he really did think that she had the potential to do something. He was serious when he suggested it and although he let it drop with her he decided to do something about it if he could. In the mean time their lives went on. 

When they had come back after their trip away, the first few days had been tough for both of them. They were apprehensive, hoping that they could keep a lid on their feelings when at work. It had been so hard to see each other and not want to touch or connect but then Summer had the bright idea of turning it all around, playing it for what it was worth like a huge secret that only they shared in, something deliciously wicked that no one else knew about and that helped enormously. It was the only way they managed to get through the long hard days of seeing each other but having no connection, never being able to have even a moment or two in private as Goldie, wanting to teach Summer as much as she could before she left, she or the crew were always around. 

It drove them both insane. 

There were times on the set that if Gery seemed overly friendly, everyone put it down to his well known reputation, it was expected of him and par for the course as far as everyone was concerned but they had also come to know Summer and secretly thought that here was one woman Gery was not going to get anywhere much with, to all the crews delight as perverse as it may sound. There was something abundantly satisfying in seeing someone who could have any woman he fancied at the drop of a hat for once not succeeding. 

Occasionally Gery and Summer would catch the nudges of the crew when she was touching up his make up and she would be smiling politely at Gery but trying very hard to keep her attitude as professional as possible. He on other hand had to continue to play the rogue, attempting to flirt with her as though she was just any other woman. They actually got to a stage where they would burst into fits of laughter at night when discussing the situation. Neither was deliberately out to hurt anyone else, that was the last thing on their minds but they wanted to keep themselves to themselves in their own special world so much that they couldn’t stand the thought of anyone knowing, finding them out and ruining it all for them.

Secretly Gery wondered if worst came to worst and their relationship was discovered, how would that effect things. Would they be able to withstand the pressure that other Hollywood couples went through. Were their feelings for each other strong enough to overcome the intrusiveness into their private lives. It scared him just thinking about it. Just the thought of ever losing her was something that he could not even stand to think about. He would happily give it all away rather than loose the one thing that finally meant something to him, he thought. 

It was only a few nights later that Summer’s laughter came floating in to the study, distracting Gery from his work and bringing him out into the living room.

‘Just what is so funny Babes?’ he asked curiously, walking over to where she was sitting at the desk they shared when they were doing all the photographic editing and photo shopping. She hastily flicked the screen of her pc as he reached her. ‘Heh, no you don’t’ he said reaching over and grabbing her mouse, flicking back to the screen she had just been viewing. 

Summer went very red and tried to grab the mouse back but Gery kept a tight hold on it. ‘What the fuck?’ he exclaimed, eye brows shooting up in an expression of pure bewilderment. ‘Gery’s Girls?’ he queried. Flowing purple script was emblazoned across a close up of his eyes. He looked at Summer incredulously then began scrolling down the page reading all the different titles to various threads. His mouth dropped open at some of the titles. 

‘Where’s Gery, Gery’s latest projects, All about Gery, Simply Gery, Gery the sexiest man alive, Hello Gorgeous - Gery sizzling pics, Gery and man fur – should Gery wax … cast your vote,’ he read heading after heading. 

‘Gery please’ she said as she tried to grab the mouse again. ‘That’s your picture of me’ he exclaimed as he suddenly stopped scrolling and saw a comment with her ‘tunnel picture’ as she called it posted next to it in a small avatar, then he clicked on one of the threads and started reading.

‘Gery’s Angel? Who the bleeding hell is Gery’s Angel and sod it, has someone got your picture?’ Summer was deep crimson and looking very uncomfortable as she watched him reading. 

He turned to her with ‘Do you want to tell me just exactly what this is?’ He then clicked on the linked thread and the screen changed to a fan fic story posted by Gery’s Angel. The posting date was some seven months prior to their meeting. 

He sat and read through the whole story then turned to look at her and back to the screen flicking quickly through other stories, stopping here and there when particular passages caught his eye. ‘Bleeding hell, I couldn’t have even done that when I was eighteen let alone now at my age’ he remarked, ‘some of this stuff is almost pornographic in detail and anatomically impossible.’

‘Oh I don’t know’ Summer giggled, ‘what about last night, you gave a pretty good attempt at it.’ She ran her hands up his thigh in an attempt to distract him and he turned to her with a smirk. ‘Oh very clever but it’s not going to work. So, do you want to tell me what the hell this is all about?’ Smiling sweetly she smirked back at him ‘Gery, it’s a fan site.’

‘You visit a fan site?’ Gery smirked. ‘Just don’t tell me that you post on there?’ he was looking at her hard now, suddenly he was highly suspicious. He knew that there were numerous fan sites that had sprung up and followed his career religiously. From time to time he would receive requests to sign this or that for the sites to auction off, they were a tremendous support to his career and he admired the work that they did to raise funds and support the various charities that he supported. He was grateful to all of them for everything that they did and knew that now, with the social networking phenomenon, they actually held a lot of clout. 

Suddenly the penny dropped. ‘You are Gery’s Angel? You posted your picture and wrote stories before we even met?’ he was looking at her incredulously. She was running her hands over his hips now. ‘So, what did you think of my story, you know, the first one that you read?’ she purred, desperate to grab his attention and turn it away from the laptop. ‘You mean the one that had me bonking the bird on the kitchen table for half the night like the energiser bunny before getting off in the hot tub then down on the beach at dawn? You mean that one?’ Her hands had slid into the waist of his jeans and he drew in his breathe.

He looked at her with the kind of look that she loved. ‘Yes, that one,’ she simpered. ‘Well…’ he caved in under her gaze, his voice a little husky. ‘How about we go and see if the table will stand the test for starters. You know if you are going to write you really must do your research first.’ It was his turn to purr. She gave him a shy smile, ‘I thought that you said it wouldn’t work on you?’ as she ran her hands over his warm skin inching her way down into his jeans. ‘Looks to me like its working pretty good,’ her voice cracked as she took a hold of his hand and led him into the kitchen. 

They spent the rest of the night doing research and they were very thorough about it. 

They were sitting eating breakfast the next morning at the kitchen table and Gery couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face. ‘So, you got it right didn’t you?’ She looked at him enquiringly. ‘Well, for a start you are definitely Gery’s angel and secondly…’ he just patted the table and laughed. ‘I have to confess that wasn’t exactly my idea’ she mumbled with her mouth full of toast. ‘Well, who’s was it then?’ he asked her a little alarmed and not really wanting to hear the answer for fear of god knows what. ‘Umm, it was Clair’s. She had been telling me about something that had happened to her, oh and Gery don’t you dare tell her that I told you this, that’s if you ever get to meet her. I really want you to meet, you would love her to pieces you know.’

‘I’m sorry Babes, this must be hard on you not being able to share with your friends’ he said thoughtfully, ‘but you know that we have to be so careful. It doesn’t take much for word to get out and it’s just that I love what we have and don’t really want to change it. Beside, you are right, it’s kind of fun having a “big secret” that no one knows about. Any way I interrupted you, you were telling me about Clair and getting it off down amongst the jam and Marmite jars on the kitchen table.’

Summer laughed. ‘It wasn’t Marmite it was Vegemite and it wasn’t jam it was Maple Syrup.’ Gery looked at the condiments on the table and picked up the bottle of syrup sitting there, raising his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Oh no you don’t’ Summer giggled, ‘I’ll be late for work’ she said trying to make a dash past him and reach the safety of the bathroom but he was just that bit too quick for her. 

Needless to say, they were both very late for work. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frank was an actor’s dream come true. He was brilliant, innovative and open to suggestions. He wrote, directed and produced. He had a clear picture of where and how he wanted each of his projects to look and feel, which was perhaps why he was so acclaimed amongst all who worked with him. He got things right and it paid off big time. He had a string of hits under his belt and never looked like he would ever slow down. Even now, though there was still six weeks of shooting and the most important part of filming about to commence, he was already planning his next project. 

He had actually been planning his next project for the last five years. It had become a passion for him and he was close to realising it. He was only waiting for this movie to wrap then he would finally be able to make the kind of movie that he had really wanted to for years, something that was going to make a difference, make every one sit up and notice and for that he needed someone to play the lead that was so unexpected and so different to the normal casting expectations that for the whole time he had been making all his careful plans there was only one person that he had in mind for the role and that was Gery. 

Frank admired Gery enormously. He recognised the frustration of his situation being type cast as the handsome male lead in a string of hits, that was great but he knew that Gery had more in him and was simply itching to stretch his talents and Frank was there to make sure that he did do that and he could not wait. 

They had just finished the last scene before the next segment of the movie involving Felicia / Jennifer was about to commence. They were all relieved as this would mean a few days off until her arrival and as Frank had stood to the side discussing lighting the set differently and possible retakes of the last scene, his cell rang. 

Gery was sitting chatting to Goldie, Summer keeping well and truly in the background when the expression on Frank’s face had alerted him to something not being right. Frank never swore but the expletives flying out of his mouth were giving even Gery cause for alarm. After a long and animated discussion Frank stormed over to Gery. 

‘Change of plans. That was Jennifer on the phone. She’s in hospital.’ ‘What? Is she all right?’ Gery asked with some alarm. ‘No, well yes she is going to be all right but no, she’s not going to be all right for the picture. Hell’ Frank exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair. He was concerned for her welfare of course but he was also concerned for the movie. There were livelihoods on the line, a lot of the cast and crew depending on the project for income and in this day and current economic climate it could make a difference to everyone’s future. A shelved project was not something to take lightly. 

‘Is she all right, what happened?’ Gery was asking more out of friendship for Jennifer than for the project. ‘She was skiing in Aspen, it was just an accident, one of those things.’ Frank replied shaking his head. ‘Can we shoot around her until she is well? Use a double?’ ‘No, she’s off the picture, she has broken her arm in two places and has even more fractures in her leg.’ ‘Oh god’ Gery blanched at the thought of it. ‘I’ll have to find a replacement but god, where am I going to find anyone at this short notice. Jennifer had everything down pat and was just going to show up on Friday and be ready to roll.’

Gery looked at Frank. He knew that this was going to be a risk but he didn’t hesitate. ‘Mate, can I have a word in private like?’


	10. Chapter 10

Because of Jennifer’s accident production had closed down for a week to allow for various re writes to take place. It gave Gery and Summer some much needed time off.

They had thought of going back to the cabin and that is what both of them desperately would have loved to have done but that was out of the question, they were both far too busy to even contemplate it. Nearing the end of the week and having spent every day working together for hours, Summer had answered a knock at the door just as Gery had emerged from the shower. 

‘Surprise hermit!’ Clair burst through the door with a bunch of flowers in her hands. ‘Where the hell have you been keeping yourself these last couple of months I haven’t seen you for so…’ but she stopped dead mid sentence as Gery’s voice yelled ‘Where’s that big bottle of conditioner Babes, we couldn’t have used the whole bottle yet, we only bought it three weeks ago and heh, where were you I missed you? I thought that you were going to join me like usual.’ Summer was watching her face carefully but Clair’s gaze went behind her to where Gery had just emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a thick fluffy towel. Clair swallowed hard, her eyes darting from Gery to Summer and back again.

It took a moment for the full implications to set in with Clair. If Gery was asking for conditioner then he had been in the shower and if he was saying they shouldn’t be out of conditioner as they had only bought it three weeks ago then, did that mean he had been around for a while? And join Gery in the shower like usual? Oh lord, Clair broke out into a sweat at the thought of it. Of course the more obvious question for Clair was what the hell was he doing there in the first place and why didn’t she know anything about it?

Summer wrapped her arms around Clair, ‘Hun I want you to meet Gery, Gery this is Clair.’ Gery walked across the room smiling. ‘So, this is Clair of the maple syrup fame. I finally get to meet you at last. You have good taste in err, breakfast condiments.’ He smiled as he hugged her and kissed her cheek. Summer shot Gery such a look at the maple syrup crack but Clair was so overwhelmed and speechless, firstly at the hug and kiss and secondly, by the fact that she had hugged a half naked Gery still warm from the shower that she didn’t really even notice the maple syrup remark. ‘I err, umm … nice to meet you’ was all she could barely get out, her mouth still open in shock, her eyes wide as saucers.

Summer was laughing, ‘Would you like to sit down, can I get you a drink?’ Clair could barely nod as Gery was sitting on the couch and patting the cushion beside him, beckoning Clair to come over and sit down. She had that dazed look that Gery recognised. ‘Be gentle’ Summer laughed as she walked into the kitchen to get them all drinks. ‘Can you make mine a cuppa luv’ Gery called out as Summer stuck her head around the corner of the doorway ‘Sure babes, won’t be a tick,’ before disappearing again.

‘So Clair, you write fan fic too luv. I’ve read some of it and its pretty dam hot. Don’t know whether I live up to your expectations though’ he chuckled. ‘Trust me, he does’ Summer yelled out from the kitchen as she came back in carrying a tray with munchies, a bottle of wine and a glass for Clair and set it out on the coffee table in front of her. ‘Won’t be a mo’ she was gone again. ‘She picking up my slang quite well don’t you think?’ Gery laughed. 

Clair finally found her voice, ‘So how long have you two been …’ she trailed off not quite knowing how to put it. ‘Living together?’ Gery smiled kindly trying to make her feel more comfortable. He liked the look of Clair, she had the most amazing chocolate brown eyes and knew how to wear her make up to make the most of them. 

Summer came back with coffee for both Gery and herself, carefully placing it on the table as Gery held out his arms and she nonchalantly sat in his lap. He kissed her cheek and brushed the hair from her face as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Clair was astonished. 

‘To answer your question’ Gery was saying, ‘from the day we met. Isn’t that right Babes luv?’ he responded nuzzling her. Summer smiled shyly under Clair’s surprised scrutiny. ‘Well, it wasn’t quite as simple as that was it babes?’ she looked at him. ‘No, but we got there in the end didn’t we? And I am so glad that we did,’ he said as he kissed her.

‘Pinch me I am dreaming,’ Clair said still looking like a stunned fish. Summer grinned ‘How do you think that I feel?’ Gery was grinning too, ‘Heh what am I chopped liver, how do you think I feel too?’ he laughed. 

‘So let me get this straight, you two have been living together for a couple of months now, is that right?’ Clair looked from Summer to Gery and back at her friend who she noticed was blushing a lot. ‘Yes that’s right.’ Clair’s eyes widened. ‘And no one knows about this?’ They grinned at her. ‘Well luv, no one knows except you now and if you don’t mind, we really don’t want this getting out so if you could keep it to yourself, particularly over the next couple of months we really would appreciate it Darlin’.’ Gery emphasised the words ‘appreciate it’ in his most convincing and seductive voice, sending shivers through Clair. 

‘Gery knock it off,’ Summer laughed and poked him. ‘Clair honey, we really need to keep this under wraps, it’s not just that we value our privacy but there is more at stake than just us. You see…’ Summer looked at Gery for help, she knew that Clair was slightly in shock over finding Gery there and the next piece of news was going to totally blow her away. 

Gery lent over and took Clair’s hand. ‘What Summer is trying to tell you is that her career has taken a different path and it sort of involves me and the movie that I am in. Clair I know that you care for Summer so I am asking you to promise that you will not tell a soul about what is going on. Can you do that for us, for Summer?’ Clair was looking at the two of them and thinking what the hell is going on, what could be so important and serious?

‘Sure what ever you say stays with me but hell, just what is going on, you two aren’t really making any sense.’ She stopped and looked hard at Summer. ‘You’re not married are you?’ she exclaimed. ‘No’ Summer laughed lightly ‘no it’s nothing like that silly.’ She didn’t notice the look on Gery’s face when she said that but Clair did and it did give her cause to think. ‘No Clair, we are not married, secretly or anything at all like that’ she blushed yet again. ‘Clair it’s like this…’ 

They sat talking well into the night and as Clair finally got up to leave there were hugs all round. ‘You know that I won’t tell anyone. I am so excited for you, you know that I mean that and Summer, you know that I love you so much. I am over the moon for you.’ She hugged Summer. Gery, standing looking at the two of them, was really touched by the sincerity in her voice. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a crushing hug. ‘Oh god’ she squealed in her best fan girl voice, ‘I’ve just been hugged by the sexiest man in the world,’ she giggled, still star struck. ‘You two make the most perfect couple and I really couldn’t be happier for you.’ 

‘What a top bird,’ Gery was smiling as Summer tidied up as they got ready for bed. ‘I love her to pieces, she really is my closest friend and I am so glad that you met and don’t worry, she won’t say anything.’ 

Gery was already undressed as he watched Summer getting changed ready for bed. He loved watching her taking her clothes off, her inhibitions totally gone now, she knew the effect that she had on him and loved it, tonight though she noticed that he was sitting on the bed deep in thought. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked him as she was turning down the bed. He got up and wrapped his arms around her and was looking straight into her eyes. ‘Gery what is it, is something wrong?’ He was looking so serious now, so thoughtful. 

‘Gery what is it?’ He stroked her cheek softly ‘It’s just something that Clair said.’ Summer was really puzzled, she couldn’t remember anything that Clair had said that would have given Gery any cause for concern, the only thing she had said that she suddenly thought of …no, it couldn’t be that she thought, her face reddened. She looked at Gery as he continued to gaze at her. ‘Summer I…’ he looked down unable to go on, ‘come on, let’s get to bed. It’s nothing, we can talk in the morning.’ He kissed her on the cheek and got into bed, turning off his bedside lamp as she too got in and rolled over. 

Gery’s voice was quiet as he said ‘I love you Babes luv,’ drawing her into him, holding her to his body, kissing her softly. She felt his hardness against her soft body but he made no attempt to take her. Her fingers stroked the soft hair on his chest, she would have to give him a wax soon she laughed to herself. Twining it around her fingers, playing gently with his silky fur before she moved her hand slowly down his body, she reached for him with her small hand. 

It never failed to arouse him. The touch of her skin sent a flood of fire through him. He couldn’t help but give a small thrust of his hips as she held him in her hand gently massaging him. She threw her leg over his, slipping even closer to him. They made love fitted together like a puzzle, arms and legs entwined, bodies wreathing with the passion they both felt for the other, falling asleep holding each other when spent. 

The next morning Gery didn’t mention Clairs visit and Summer wondered about this but did not want to press him. They were both busy and her nerves were starting to get the better of her as the week drew to a close and filming of the most crucial part of the movie would begin. 

Summer still did not quite know how Gery had managed to talk Frank into allowing her to read for the part of Felicia let alone how he convinced her that she would be able to do this. He had a power of persuasion that was amazing and really, she was still in a kind of haze at the thought of all that had happened in her life over the last two months. If anyone had told her at the beginning of the year all that was about to change in her life, she would have had them locked up and the key thrown away. 

She had played out the scene that she had been rehearsing with Gery for Frank and she had nailed it. It was a scene involving Greg meeting Felicia for the first time after her arrival back in town and the dialogue had been full and rich with references to the past romance they had, their break up and a lot of tears and heated remarks on the part of Felicia. Frank had been blown away by Summer’s ability to pull it off. She owned the scene and the chemistry between Gery and Summer fairly crackled through the room. 

Frank was licking his lips with excitement by the time they had finished. Some times there is just something special that happens, a chemistry that has nothing to do with acting. It’s not that often but Frank recognised it when he watched the interaction between Gery and Summer, they made the characters come alive and sparks fly. He could feel it and he knew the camera would eat it up.

This he thought, was one of the luckiest days of his life.


	11. Chapter 11

‘Is this as weird for you as it is for me?’ Goldie asked Summer as she put the finishing touches to her make up on the first day that Summer had shown up for filming. ‘Goldie, I can’t begin to tell you how totally surreal all of this is,’ Summer answered truthfully. Goldie was giving her so many long and hard looks that Summer blushed under her scrutiny. She knew that she had a million and one questions about how she got the part and just how it came about that Gery, who even though he was known for his generosity towards others, just how he came to recommend Summer to Frank. 

Goldie had questioned Gery about all of this but Gery with his usual aplomb had given a pretty convincing dialogue that he hoped would allay any suspicions anyone had. Between the two of them Gery and Summer had cooked up a story to cover how and what made him even know about Summer’s ‘acting talents,’ let alone recommend her to Frank, some rigmarole about her acting ambitions and discussions while doing his make up over the last two months was the excuse that he put out and about. They had both been as convincing as possible but knew that they were skating on thin ice as far as Goldie’s bull shit antennae was concerned. 

Now here it was the first day on set and Summer was feeling a bit of a wreck. Why had she let him convince her to do this, she must have been crazy. Oh lord just let me get through this day in one piece and I will never assume I can be anything above myself again, she kept saying to herself over and over.

Gery had spoken with Frank a few days before and discussed Summer’s nerves. To make it as smooth as possible, Frank had agreed to shoot the scene that he had watched them do for Summer’s reading. It would go a long way in relaxing her into the role and ease her tension.

By the end of the day’s filming, there was a buzz around the studio. The other cast and crew had been totally unprepared for the performance they witnessed from the two of them. Frank could not wipe the smile off his face and Goldie, well she was gob smacked. ‘You did well Summer, you did so really well’ she had said to her as she removed all the traces of makeup. ‘It’s as if you were born to play this part,’ she gushed approvingly. 

‘Can I give you a lift anywhere?’ Gery asked as he stuck his head nonchalantly through the door. ‘Oh umm, yes thanks that would be great if it’s not too much trouble’ Summer replied politely. Goldie smiled wickedly ‘You know, you two would make a mighty handsome couple, have you ever thought of getting together?’ she asked Gery and looked across at Summer. ‘Goldie, knock it off.’ Gery responded doing his utmost to give the impression that the thought had never and would never, enter his mind. Goldie shrugged ‘Just saying, no need to get your knickers in a twist now is there’ she sighed. 

‘Babes, you did so well.’ Gery was glowing with praise for her. ‘You were perfect.’ Summer looked doubtful and disbelieving. They had arrived home and he was holding her in his arms, brushing her hair out of her eyes and running his fingers down her cheek. ‘I can’t believe how good you were,’ he laughed as he picked her up and spun her around. ‘They love you, Frank loves you and everyone loves you, even the camera loves you.’ 

Despite herself and her nerves his excitement was infectious and she was laughing. ‘Gery, tell me honestly, was I really all right or are you just saying that?’ ‘Darlin’ you were more than alright, you were bleeding marvellous and we have the whole weekend to ourselves to go over next weeks scenes. You are going to be so sensational, I just know it.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jules as everyone knew Julian Bjorg was tall, blonde with Icelandic sea blue eyes, Swedish and charming in that continental way. He had been a childhood star in his native country and had been a relatively successful international model. It was par for the course that at some stage Hollywood would beckon. After a few minor roles he had come into his own in one of those sci fi ‘Humans vs Aliens’ type movies, hitting all the right notes with both the male and female audience. Men loved him for his cold sarcastic sneering and woman, well they just loved him full stop. He was the next young thing and he was perfect for the part of Andreas the backpacker, in fact it could have been written for him. 

The first day on set he had managed to cause many hearts to flutter amongst the females and a few of the males for that matter. When Summer was introduced to him she did have to admit to herself that she could see the sex appeal to him, hell you would have to be blind not to she thought to herself as he took her hand and bent over to kiss it. Oh smooth she was thinking, that is one really smooth move.

Summer’s confidence had grown over the last week of filming and her interaction with everyone was so spontaneous that no one resented her good fortune having gotten the part. Everyone loved the feeling on the set now, there was a vibe about the shoot that no one could put there finger on and no one realised that it was because of Summer and Gery’s personal relationship. They just all put it down to a great project, with one exception. There was one person that had their suspicions but was keeping it under wraps, just sitting back and making observations stored away for future reference. 

Summers first few scenes with Jules had gone really well. They were all light hearted banter, boy chasing girl type of stuff leading up to a first date scene where Felicia rejects the over ardent Andreas having realised that it is really Greg that she still has deep feelings for. Then out of the blue there was a script re write.

Gery was doing some reading of his own in his study when he heard Summer’s gasp. ‘What’s the matter?’ he yelled out to her where she was sitting in the living room on the couch going over the changes. ‘Heh, what is it?’ he asked as he came out and saw her face, tears in her eyes. ‘I can’t do this’ she pointed to the sheets of paper ‘Gery I can’t do this and I won’t’.

He picked up the pages from the floor where she had thrown them and sat beside her with his arm around her shoulders while he read quickly through them before putting them down on the coffee table. 

‘Babes luv, that’s what acting is all about, it’s only acting it’s not real.’ He was attempting to sooth her but he really meant what he was saying. ‘Gery I can’t, I just can’t. It would be like I was being unfaithful to you’ she choked out.

The rewrite of the script called for Felicia to be in bed with Andreas, her love making with him being the catalyst for her realisation that it is really Greg that she still loves. Summer had been around long enough to know that of course there are going to be times these types of scenarios come up in movies but she had not thought about it when taking the part because it wasn’t in the script then. She didn’t know if she could pull this off and she didn’t know how she would feel on a personal level being ‘in bed’ so to speak with anyone but Gery. Her mind was throwing her into a spin. 

‘Gery I love you’ she was looking at him so tragically that he laughed. ‘Summer its okay, this is nothing to get upset about. You will be fine, it’s not personal trust me, it never is’ he reassured her. ‘Look, it’s just a job. Now come on, we’ll go over the scene together. I am sure that Jules will make it as comfortable for you as possible’ he said with a confidence that, to be honest, he was far from feeling. 

He would never tell Summer this but Jules did have a reputation with women that he worked with. Gery knew that was hypocritical coming from him with his past but he always treated his women with respect and left them feeling special, Jules on the other hand was known by insiders to merely treat every woman as another notch in his belt and he had many notches if you believed all that you heard. Gery was worried. 

As a consideration to the actors privacy and the nudity involved, the shooting of the scene between ‘Felicia and Andereas’ would take place on a closed set with only those essential crew to be on hand. Summer had begged Gery to come up with some excuse to be there, she needed him there to give her the courage to go ahead with it. She knew that she could not pull out of it, apart from what that would mean to the film and to her own reputation she knew that it would be a devastating blow to Gery’s career as well, after all it was him that had risked a lot to get this to happen. She just had to get on with it and face her fears. 

Frank had given a tiny knowing smile to himself when Gery had shown up to watch filming on the pretext that he needed to watch the scene so he would not duplicate any moves in other scenes he was involved in. It was really a load of horse shit Frank felt but he let it go. The crew that were there sniggered thinking that he was just there to have a bit of a perve but they loved Gery so much that they didn’t hold it against him, who wouldn’t want to watch Summer, she was one hot lady. 

Jules had been nothing but his charming self when they had rehearsed the scenes and had made Summer relax as much as she could but it was one thing to lie in bed fully clothed with a stranger, an extremely attractive stranger at that and it was another to lie in bed naked with that same person in front of the cameras when you weren’t trained to do it. 

Gery sat to the side of the set trying to look inconspicuous but feeling far from it. He had tried very hard to booster Summer’s confidence assuring her again that morning before they left for the studio that she would be fine. ‘Babes, just relax and you will be fine and if you can’t relax then’ he smiled ‘just picture you are with me. Block everything that you can out of your head’ he tapped her fore head ‘and just take it easy’. He drew her into him and hugged her, rubbing her back to sooth her like she was a little child. ‘It’s going to be just fine I promise.’

They had finished filming the pre bedding shots, a rear view of Summer naked walking toward Jules as he lay in bed waiting for her was now in the can. She had felt better than she had thought she would and was slightly pleased with the way that she had handled her performance. But now of course this would be the test. She was nervous but only Gery sitting there watching knew just how very much. 

Jules was already in bed modestly covered while waiting for her to get in, it would be then that the sheets would come off and that was the moment that she had been dreading. As she got in she quickly looked over to Gery as discreetly as she could. He gave a tiny flick of his cheek with his hand, it was a pre arranged signal to her that he had told her he would give just to let her know that everything was all right and that she would be fine. She gave a tiny smile and laid down, Jules whispering into her ear as she did.

She laughed out loud at what ever he had said to her before he lent in and said something else to her that set her into of fit of giggles, leaving her a lot more relaxed but leaving Gery very tense. 

The scene called for shots of Jules lying atop Summer simulating sex. There would be long shots and close ups required hence the need for total nudity, Summer only being covered by an adhesive patch, Jules opting to forego the ‘sock’ type arrangement that other actors preferred. He was Swedish and not given to modesty, having grown up comfortable with his body. 

Gery gritted his teeth as Jules ‘mounted’ Summer. He may have given lip service to all the regular clichés when trying to bolster her confidence but underneath it all, he was still a man and Summer was the love of his life and it was hard to sit there and watch them. 

When finally both of them were in place and comfortable, they began to shoot. 

The scene was to last a few minutes, kissing, fondling and undulation were all called for and by the look of things, they were both doing a pretty convincing job, so much so that when Frank gave the orders to cut neither of them heard him and continued on in what looked like a very passionate kiss. To make matters worse as far as Gery was concerned, when they finally did hear the directions and stopped Summer was drawing in her breath and it was obvious from a couple of smirks the crew were wearing, that Jules had totally enjoyed himself and found the whole scene very stimulating in deed. 

When Summer, now wrapped in a robe came over to where Gery had been sitting she found that he was gone. As filming had finished for the day she went back to her dressing room but Gery wasn’t there either. She had no idea of where he was so she sent a text to his cell ‘where are you?’ her brief message read and within moments he responded with ‘car’ and that was it. 

She changed and saying good night to all, she made her way out to where he had left the car that morning, hoping as usual as she did so that no one would see her. ‘Where did you go?’ she asked as she walked up to the car. The look on Gery’s face was not one that she had seen before so she had no warning of what was to come. 

‘Get in’ he said curtly and once in he took off but instead of heading for the apartment he drove rather recklessly she thought, down towards the coast and then along the highway until he found an empty car park. It was dark now and most people had gone home for the day so he pulled in off the highway and slammed on the brakes of the car, sending a spray of gravel flying through the air. 

‘Gery what…’ before Summer could get two words out he had leant across, flicked the button on her seat and in one move he was on top of her, crushing her body to his. His lips were frantically searching for hers, locking onto them, his tongue forcing her lips open with its probing. His hand was on her breast almost brutally clutching it, he ran his free hand down to the waistband of her pants, feeling for the elastic of her panties and slipping underneath to reach for her. He smiled a grim inward smile as he felt her wetness. She gasped as his fingers found her.

She had never seen him like this. Their lovemaking had always been tender or passionate but this, this was neither. This was dark and brutal and she wasn’t used to it and ….it excited her. She had never thought that she would feel like this but she did and the tension that she could feel pouring out of him, it shocked her and thrilled her at the same time.

Summer was squirming now as his fingers reached down into her. He was very deliberately teasing her with his movements, making her want him, taking her to the edge and pulling back. ‘Gery please’ she panted, ‘please I need you’ she almost pleaded to him after this had gone on for some time. He stopped for just one fraction of a moment to look into her eyes ‘This better be for me Summer, it just had better be for me’ he rasped as he unzipped quickly and thrust into her roughly. 

It was all over in a matter of moments as they both reached their peaks together. Gery hastily zipped up and jumped back to the driver seat, starting up the engine before Summer had even had a chance to dress properly and sit up. He couldn’t even look at her. 

‘Gery what…’ again he silenced her but this time it was with his razor sharp words. ‘Summer, just don’t. Don’t say a word.’ She was stunned. He drove to her apartment in silence then, once parked, he threw open her door. As she got out of the car he pulled the door closed. She turned surprised as he made no attempt to get out. ‘Aren’t you coming in?’ He just sat there staring in front of him. ‘Gery, what are you doing, where are you going?’ It was then he turned to look at her for the first time since they left the beach. ‘I’m going home’ and with that he sped off leaving Summer standing on the foot path staring after the tail lights of his receding car as it disappeared into the distance.


	12. Chapter 12

Summer’s small image receded into the distance in Gery’s rear view mirror as he drove away. He did not look back, he was too angry, he just drove. He didn’t know where he was driving until he realised that he had headed up into the hills overlooking LA. He made for the parking lot of the walking track that they used, knowing that at least there he could sit looking out over the view and just think.

He pulled in, turned off the ignition and sat taking in the view of LA stretched out in front of him. It was dark now and the lights of the city twinkled like some vast fairyland, the lines of traffic with their red glowing tail lights like threads of rubies, matching lines of headlights in contrast like strings of diamonds, all sparkling below him, thousands of people scurrying here and there, living their lives oblivious to his pain. 

Like all of us when in the depths of a crisis, Gery could only selfishly think of himself, of his situation and emotions. He had watched Summer as she went through her paces shooting the scene and was proud of her, she was doing such a great job, she was so convincing and then… that tiny seed of doubt crept into the back of his mind and quickly grew to an explosion of what, he didn’t know. 

She looked too convincing, too much like she was really enjoying herself. She looked too real. When they had called cut and she hadn’t, something snapped in his head and in his heart. He suddenly couldn’t bear to watch, to be near her. He felt betrayed. He had to get out of there or he would… he didn’t know what he would do but he knew that he could not stay there and be around Jules for a start, he couldn’t bare that he had touched her, acting or not, let alone be anywhere near Summer at that moment.

Added to the torment and confusion he was feeling, he was grappling with other emotions. For the first time he saw in the third person what it must look like to make love to her and it turned him on. He despised himself for feeling like that but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her and he wanted her badly.

When he had gotten her text message he was still seething with these emotions like a boiling pot bubbling away. The moment he saw her and she got into the car, he knew that he had to have her, that was all he could think of and so he drove to the beach and he…

Oh god, Gery thought as he rested his head in his hands, what have I done. He had been so brutal with her and she was so fragile. She had given him her trust and he had blown it. He had blown it and it was something that he didn’t think that he could mend. He had crushed her without any thought except to make his mark on her, claim her like he owned her, like he was merely marking out his territory like some kind of animal. 

Gery gasped as he sat looking out at the night view. He knew that he had been so totally unreasonable after all, he admitted to himself, hadn’t it been him that had said to her to relax, to pretend that it was him she was with while filming, to be in the moment, and isn’t that exactly what she had done and done so well. 

It was the longest night of his life sitting there silently watching the city living out the long hours of loneliness that make up the darkness for those in despair, even the car radio betrayed him, cruelly shredding his heart to pieces as the words to the music that was playing cut through his brain.

 

*When your day is long  
And the night, the night is yours alone  
When you're sure you've had enough  
Of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go  
'Cause everybody cries  
And everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong  
Now it's time to sing along  
When your day is night alone (Hold on, hold on)  
If you feel like letting go (Hold on)  
If you think you've had too much  
Of this life, well hang on

Everybody hurts  
Take comfort in your friends  
Everybody hurts  
Don't throw your hand, oh no

Don't throw your hand  
If you feel like you're alone  
No, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life  
The days and nights are long  
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes  
Everybody cries  
Everybody hurts sometimes  
And everybody hurts sometimes

So hold on, hold on  
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on  
Everybody hurts 

He sat in his car and cried, really cried, gut wrenching sobs shuddering through his body. He had not done that since he was a child and it tore him apart.

As the dawn arrived and the first rays of sunlight cast their peach coloured tendrils across the sky, Gery stretched his tight cramped muscles. He was aching all over, his head was aching and his body ached. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. He was numb but not from sitting all night, it was his heart that felt numb. He had lost the only person in the world that had mattered to him, the only person that he loved and he was shattered. He drove home and crawled into bed hoping that when he woke up this would all be just a bad dream. 

It was his cell ringing that bought him back to reality late the next day. From the light filtering through the drawn drapes he knew that he had slept most of the day away in fitful dreams, dark and chilling, waking in a cold sweat from time to time but rolling over and falling back into that other world in preference to the reality he was going to have to face. He fumbled for his phone still groggy and dazed by his broken sleep. Before he could reach it the noise stopped and his headache kicked in again. 

He sat on the side of the bed for a full twenty minutes just staring at the screen of his cell, he had four missed calls – none of them mattered, none were from Summer. He didn’t bother to dress, what was the point but he was cold and shivering. He pulled on his thick robe and made his way down to the kitchen forcing a cup of strong black coffee down merely to wash away the aspirin he had taken hoping they would stop the jack hammer that was pounding through his head. He then sat on his couch looking out at the panoramic views of down town LA but saw nothing, felt nothing. 

His heart was giving little erratic beats each time he thought of Summer, sending waves of fear through to the pit of his stomach at the thought of what he had lost. He ran his hands through his hair and held his head in his hands just wishing his head ache would stop, wishing with all his heart that he could turn back time and wishing he could take everything back. He sat and tormented himself for hour after hour until he made himself ill with it, his empty stomach pitifully dry retching, dizzy and nauseated, finally laying cold and shivering on the marble tiles of his bathroom floor. 

The doorbell ringing late Sunday after noon bought Gery back to reality. He had barely moved from the couch since yesterday afternoon and then only to make what seemed like gallons of coffee that he poured into himself. Reluctantly he opened the door to find Frank standing there looking more than annoyed. 

One look at Gery and Frank’s mood changed. ‘Gery, you look like shit’ Frank exclaimed as he walked into his spacious living room. The room was shrouded in a gloom to match Gery’s mood. Frank looked at him sharply and making his way over to the drapes asked over his shoulder ‘Do you mind?’ as he drew them open forcing Gery to shield his eyes from the light now streaming in.

Gery hadn’t said a word and Frank was seriously concerned for him. He’d never seen him look in such a mess and was shocked by the change in him in such a short time. ‘What the hell Gery, what is going on?’ Frank asked. ‘Frank what is it, why are you here?’ Gery did not want to talk about it, he didn’t want anyone knowing and he didn’t want any small talk either. He cringed at the thought. He just wanted to be left alone with his pain and the shame of what he felt he had done, he hurt too much to care about anything else.

‘Mate, it doesn’t matter, it’s not important.’ Frank had come over to lay the ground work for his new project but on the way over he had a call from one of the many publicists on the film, someone had been telling secrets out of school and news had leaked about filming, there was going to be a piece broken on the entertainment channel sometime in the next couple of hours and Frank was seething. 

With filming for the movie scheduled to be completed within the next couple of weeks at most, Frank had decided that it was time to discuss his long awaited project with Gery and he couldn’t wait. He had looked forward to seeing his reactions and was positive Gery would be over the moon at the chance finally to do something worthwhile but now, one look at him and he knew that this was definitely not the time. Gery looked positively ill. Everything else could wait, this was more important.

‘Look, I don’t know what has happened but if it’s got anything to do with Summer then you had better tell me.’ The effect on Gery at the mention of her name was like he’d been punched. ‘What do you mean Summer, what are you talking about?’ Gery asked sharply. ‘Gery how long have we known each other, what fifteen years and in all that time I’ve seen you bed that many women. Hold on now’ Frank said before Gery could say anything ‘I am not judging you for your life style, far from it but I can tell that you my friend, you have met your match in Summer.’

Frank wasn’t just an astute and talented business man, he was a people person. He read people well; he had a nose for it. Right from the start he had sensed something different about Gery, from the moment he had walked on the set to start filming but it was only the first time he had seen Gery sitting getting his make up touched up in between retakes for the very first scene they had shot, that he had sat up and taken any notice and made him do a bit of investigating into things, after all he had a responsibility to the movie to make sure that anything and everything that may effect it would be covered.

He had caught a fleeting glimpse of something on Gery’s face that he had never seen before, something intangible and with his eye for details that made him one of the best in the business, his brain had pounced like a hawk. Gery was in love. It had been that moment that Frank had found so fascinating and when Gery had come to him proposing Summer read for the part of Felicia, well his instincts were rewarded. 

Gery looked straight ahead of him; he had heard Frank but could only think of Summer and the image of her that Frank’s words had conjured up. Snapping out of it he looked over at him. ‘Mate, I don’t think that is how she would be feeling about me right now.’ Frank was looking at him with pity, gees he thought, the poor guy has got it so bad. He shook his head. 

‘I don’t know what happened but I knew you being on the set on Friday was not a good thing. Gery, I am telling you this as a friend and someone who was lucky enough to find the right person when I was really young, if you are feeling this bad and hell, you sure look it, then don’t let her go. Get out there and do anything that you can to get her back. I have had nearly thirty three years with Eleanor and I don’t regret one single moment of them and trust me, not all of them have been good but… if you love someone, really love someone, you won’t let them go no matter how many mistakes you make along the way.’

‘If there is anything that I can do to help you out you just let me know. When you are ready there is something else that I want to talk to you about too, something that I think will make a lot of difference in your life, it’s a chance to live the dream my friend but first things first, sort this out mate and you won’t regret it. I’ll see you on the set when you are ready but’ he hesitated before going on ‘don’t leave it too long, women don’t like that you know. I learnt that the hard way.’

Frank left soon after wards and Gery, more to break the silence than out of any particular interest, flicked the TV on and randomly sat channel surfing. He had not watched anything for months as both he and Summer felt that even the TV was too intrusive a distraction into their own little world, and besides they had always found other ways to occupy themselves more productively than to just sit and watch endless hours of mind numbingly boring garbage that was spewed forth ad-nauseum. 

A sharp pang ripped through him at the thought of their multitude of interests together. He sat staring blankly at the TV screen in front of him thinking about what they had planned to be doing when filming was over, now it wouldn’t happen. 

‘In an exclusive report we can tell you that the new movie predicted to hit our screens in fall is being a closely guarded secret but from our insider we hear that the screen was sizzling with a scorching performance filmed on the closed set last Friday. And, it seems that when the cameras stopped rolling the actors didn’t. The as yet to be announced…..’

Gery didn’t hear any more. His attention had been caught when he first realised that they were talking about his movie and he had been startled. It had been a closely kept secret right from the start, all cast and crew had agreed to the terms and conditions of there employment contracts that stipulated there was to be no talking to the media about any aspects of the movie and now, there was this. 

Gery saw red. He didn’t realise it at the time but this little snippet of showbiz gossip was the catalyst he needed to snap himself out of it. Frank had been right, Summer was worth everything to him and he was not going to let her go, not like that and not without a fight.

He just couldn’t and he wouldn’t go down without giving it a shot and he just hoped that she felt the same way and could forgive him. He loved her too much to let her go.

Picking up his cell he dialled a number. ‘Frank it’s Gery, mate I need your help….’


	13. Chapter 13

Summer sat in her apartment for two days over that weekend waiting for Gery but he didn’t come and he didn’t call. The devastation that she was feeling was palpable. Her body literally ached, her head pounded and she was shaking. She didn’t eat or sleep but sat curled up on the couch in her fluffy bathrobe, knees huddled to her like a child. 

The initial shock of Gery’s actions had lasted for hours. She had been so stunned by his brutality. He had always been so tender, so caring and considerate when they made love and always patient. Other times their passion for each other would overwhelm them both and they loved it too, but this experience was so very different, so brutalising that she had never thought him capable of such a thing. 

The look on his face when he had said that ‘it better be for him’ had frightened her, and made her wonder if she knew him at all, she had been so stunned by it. Now as she thought about it, she knew that although he had not harmed her physically his doubt had done far more damage, he had not trusted her and that was like a knife to the heart. 

Then, at the back of her mind a niggling demon reminded her that she had kissed Jules back, she had responded to his kisses. She tried to justify that it was in the name of acting, that she had done what Gery had said and just pretended but she knew she was lying to herself. That was not the truth, the truth was that she had kissed Jules and it hadn’t been acting, her motivations were simple, she wanted to be sure of her feelings for Gery. 

When Gery had found that she had been a member of one of his fan sites he had been more stunned by the content than by the fact that she had been such an ardent fan before they even met. Mercifully he hadn’t questioned her, secretly she thought that he was pretty chuffed by the idea but the very fact that she had been an admirer for quite awhile left her conflicted about her feelings. 

Was what she was feeling really genuine or was she merely living out her fantasies? In a not quite logical way, she was hoping that she would find the answer in Jule’s arms during the scene. She wanted to know that this was real and not just a fairy tale romance come true and when she kissed Jules she had the answer, she knew that what she was feeling, truly feeling for Gery was as real as you could get. 

She knew that she loved him for him not for his looks or the glamour of his position. She loved him because in his own way he was just as vulnerable and lost as she was. He had never loved, never told anyone before that he loved them, how very sad to have gone through life missing that special bond with some one no matter how joyous or painful that may be. How empty and shallow must his life been before they met and above all else, how very lonely. 

And now as she sat curled up in a ball all she could think of was never having the chance to tell Gery that, to just hold him and love him and take that loneliness away. 

Clair had dropped by to see how things were going with filming and had been shocked by her appearance. She looked terrible, her red swollen eyes and matted hair giving her cause for alarm as she never had ever let herself go like this before, not even when she had split with that arsehole Eddie who had nearly killed her in the midst of yet another drug induced violent attack. 

Summer and Eddie had known each other since high school. He was the perfect all round typical good looking, stable guy that every father wanted their daughter to marry. He was great at sport, got high grades and had his feet firmly planted on the ground and he was popular with everyone from the faculty down to all his class mates. He was the one that everyone knew without a doubt would make something of him self and would be a success. And he had Summer. 

They were the typical childhood sweethearts, meeting at school, making plans for their future together, excelling at everything they did. Nothing in their world could go wrong until Eddie found drugs or maybe it was the other way around, she didn’t know but once in his system, that was it. Summer stuck with him for five more long and troubled years. She was not the sort of person that would walk away from someone or give up on someone that she thought needed help but in the end, it wasn’t her choice. If she stayed she knew that sooner or later she would be dead after the violent attack Eddie had perpetrated on her had left her in hospital with serious injuries. 

She knew then that it was the end but it broke her heart. Within weeks of her getting out of hospital she had left him, and within days of her leaving him, he was dead from an overdose. It had taken her several years to get over the guilt and despair that she had felt, then more years to start a new life, to live again in a small way and to come to terms with her past and forgive herself. Then, she had met Gery.

Clair held Summer in her arms while she sat and sobbed, not even able to talk coherently. She had no idea what had happened but knew that Gery wasn’t there and Summer’s heart was breaking. ‘Oh honey’ Clair had said to her as she got up and turned off the sound system that Summer had playing in the back ground, the music killing her note by note as the sad song drifted through her thoughts.

*Loneliness is a cloak you wear  
A deep shade of blue is always there

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore  
The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky  
The tears are always clouding your eyes  
When you're without love

Baby, emptiness is a place you're in  
Nothing to lose not no more to win

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore  
The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky  
The tears are always clouding your eyes  
When you're without love

Lonely without you, baby  
Boy, I need you, I can't go on

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore  
The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky  
The tears are always clouding your eyes  
When you're without love

Loneliness is a coat you wear  
The dark shade of blue is always there

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore  
The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky  
The tears are always clouding your eyes  
When you're without love

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore  
The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky  
The tears are always clouding your eyes  
When you're without love 

 

This was not just a fight between two lovers, Clair thought to herself, this was something deep and heart wrenchingly painful. Clair just shook her head, told her that she was there for her if she needed her, made her eat a little something, drew her a bath and then she left.

On Sunday evening there had been a knock on her door and she flew to it in the hopes that it was Gery but when she opened it she got the surprise of her life, Frank was standing there. ‘May I come in?’ he asked as he stepped inside without waiting for an answer.

Summer knew that she looked a mess but didn’t really care too much. ‘Is Gery here?’ he asked as he looked around the small apartment. Frank knew that Gery wasn’t there but he needed some way of letting her know that he knew about the two of them and this was the best way that he could come up with on short notice. Summer was on her guard immediately. ‘Gery?’ she looked at him as though it would be the last person to ever expect to be asked about. ‘Summer, you can relax and cut the charade you know.’ She looked at him and her shoulders slumped. ‘You know?’ it was almost a relief to have someone, an insider, know about them. ‘How did you find out?’

Frank looked at her before speaking. He had no intention of telling her that he had seen Gery earlier today, that was something that he would be keeping to himself, that and a few other things he had up his sleeve. ‘You mean how did I find out about the two of you? Summer I knew from the minute that I saw Gery walk onto the set that there was something different about him. It took me a while to figure it out but I had to find out what it was, not just for the sake of this film but you see, I have been working on something now for a number of years that is going to rely heavily on Gery and any thing that is in his life and involves him, I have to know about.’

‘I have known Gery now almost for the whole time that he has been in the states, and I swear that I know him like the back of my hand so when he showed up on set and I realised that something had changed, I had to find out what. And Summer, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to do it either. I have a lot of contacts in the industry and with the help of a private investigator’ he held up his hand to hush her, knowing that protests would ensue from this last statement, ‘well let’s just put it this way, if you are going to go skinny dipping up by a certain waterfall, next time make sure that there is no one else around,’ he smiled. ‘Oh and Summer, don’t tell Gery about that, I don’t think he would be too pleased with me.’

‘Frank, there is not going to be a next time’ she said swallowing hard ‘and you needn’t worry about me telling Gery anything, that’s not likely to be happening any time soon’ she had gone on forlornly. ‘It was that re write scene wasn’t it?’ he said guiltily. ‘He couldn’t take it could he?’ Frank commented quietly. ‘No, no I guess that he couldn’t.’ Summer was still shaken to the core by what had happened just as much as she had been on Friday. Apart from missing him terribly she had been ashamed that she had actually kissed Jules back but Gery had said to get lost in the role and think of him and she realised that she had but it had gone that bit too far and no justification would ever make up for it now she realised.

If she was being honest with herself and it had been Gery in that position she did not know whether she would not have acted the very same way as he had. She really didn’t know why she had done it, perhaps it was just Jules very persuasive comments prior to filming that had relaxed her too much or maybe it was the thought of Gery watching or, oh she didn’t know why and she couldn’t really make excuses, it had happened and nothing was going to undo it now she thought miserably, confused thoughts flying around and around in her head over and over again. 

She was angry now too, angry that he had not given her the chance to explain. She had not wanted to do the scene to start with and he had convinced her that it would all be fine but it’s not and she felt it never would be again, she sighed. 

‘Do you want some advice from someone that knows Gery and trust me, I know him well?’ Frank asked kindly. ‘Yes, sure’ she answered but not convincingly. ‘Okay, you might not think that I know what I am talking about but that’s up to you so here it is for what it’s worth: don’t do anything.’

She looked at him puzzled. ‘What do you mean don’t do anything? What am I supposed to do, what should I be doing?’ she prickled. ‘Frank I never wanted a relationship. I fought hard not to have a relationship of any kind. I held myself back, protected myself for so long. I was happy in my own little world. I didn’t go out there looking for this or asking for this.’ She was getting defensive now, in the state that she was in she just wasn’t able to take any kind of advice rationally without seeing it as a criticism. 

‘I have been down this road before and never ever wanted to feel like I do right now and I tell you something else’ she paused and took a deep breath, ‘I thought that I had been hurt before, I thought that the pain I went through in the past was going to be the worst thing that I would ever feel, ever experience but I tell you what, this… this that I am feeling right now, it makes everything I went through seem like child’s play. I gave him my…’ 

She stopped, what was the point of going on about trust to Frank when she too had broken Gery’s trust. She had seen the look in his eyes when he turned to her in the car before leaving, it was a look of hurt and such betrayal and yes, she felt ashamed. She had never seen such a look of intense disappointment, his eyes normally so blue and twinkling with happiness when he looked at her they were icy, cold and devastated. That more than his prior actions at the beach had left her shivering, even now when she closed her eyes that was all she could see, his eyes accusing her. 

‘Summer all I can say to you is that I have never seen Gery so happy in his life as he is with you. I have known him now for well, let’s see it must be close to around fifteen years, the only one here that has known him longer is Goldie and Summer, in all that time I have not ever seen Gery in love, not once but he is now, and he is deeply in love. Summer, in many ways Gery is like a big kid, he’s never grown up for all the man about the town veneer. It’s like he has found someone else playing with his toy and he can’t handle that and yes, I know that it was just part of acting and it got slightly carried away and Gery should understand that but right now, that would be the last thing that he would be thinking. Summer, he’s never been through this before and it’s a huge learning curve.’

‘Just sit tight and don’t worry, I am a great believer in things working out and I have the feeling in yours and Gery’s case, they will.’ She looked at Frank who she really barely knew other on a working basis and yet she found truth and comfort in what he was saying. He patted her hand and gave her a small hug on his way out. 

He knew that he had to do something and do something quickly to resolve this or he could kiss this and his new project good bye. He wasn’t being totally mercenary in his thoughts, he did really actually think that they probably had a really good chance of making their relationship successful if they could just get over this hurdle and he was going to make dammed sure that they would. 

All he could do was give Gery’s idea a try, the rest was going to be up to the two of them.


	14. Chapter 14

‘Summer we need to re shoot last weeks Greg and Felicia’s reconciliation scene; I am not happy with the lighting and want to get it right.’ Summer blanched. It was Tuesday morning, she had been ready to show up on Monday morning but at the last minute received a call advising her not to come in as Gery was not available and filming for the day had been cancelled. Her heart had given a lurch at that news. She didn’t know what it meant. She knew him well enough to know that nothing kept him from filming so she was more than aware that this was serious. 

She hadn’t heard from him and it was killing her but she too was trying hard to deal with her own feelings and couldn’t think. At least she had stopped her continual crying she thought, that was a something.

The previous week, prior to the now infamous bedding scene with Jules, Summer and Gery had played out the scene that bought Greg and Felicia back together. It was a beautiful piece designed to tug at the heart strings and written to appeal not only to the heart strings of every woman that went to the movie but with the heat involved in the passionate make up sex, it was also guaranteed to appeal to any men in the audience that had been dragged along by their women folk, and with Summer and Gery making easy watching, even the crew had found it enthralling. Add to that the personal chemistry of the two of them and those that had witnessed the filming had more than enjoyed the session.

Like the scene shot on the Friday, this too had been a closed set, the difference being this scene had required subdued lighting and a totally different atmosphere to the almost light hearted bed romp between Andreas and Felicia. It was an emotional and tender moment between the two lovers that had parted and come to find each other again, finally dealing with their issues and admitting their feelings.

Summer was terrified by the news of the re shoot. Not only would she have to face Gery with the issues standing between them now but the emotions involved in playing the scene were so close to the bone that she shook at the thought of it. She didn’t even know if she had the courage to walk onto the set, let alone face him and film at the same time. 

Gery was already on set when she tentatively walked over to Frank. ‘Are you all right with this?’ he asked, noticing that despite her make up she was pale as a ghost. Gery was not looking that much better as he sat waiting at the side in semi darkness. Summer hadn’t seen him sitting there as she stood nervously with Frank. Her mouth was dry and she could not even answer him, she just gave a small frightened nod. ‘It’s going to be okay Summer, trust me,’ he said confidently. 

Gery’s heart had pounded at the first sight of her. It took all his self control to keep his emotions in check just looking at her. He gritted his teeth and tried hard not to think about anything, just to keep focussed on what he needed to do. He was biting the inside of his lip so hard that he almost drew blood. His breathing came in short bursts that matched his rapidly beating heart. He swallowed hard. Summer looked pale and tired but she looked beautiful, she would always look beautiful to him. 

‘Okay guys, let’s get the show on the road now,’ Frank called as he turned and looked over to Gery, raising his eyebrows slightly as if questioning him as to his readiness for this. Gery gave an unperceivable nod that no one else seemed to notice. ‘Oh just one thing, I want this scene to be perfect and normally wouldn’t be doing this but I am going to have some music going in the background, it’s something that I think we will use and I need to see if it just fits so let’s get into it shall we?’ 

Summer walked over to her mark, handing her robe to the assistant as she shed it for the scene. Looking into the gloom off set she then saw Gery for the first time and her legs went weak. She could do this, she kept telling herself, willing herself to stay under control or she knew that she would burst into tears and flee the set crying like a mad thing. 

Gery walked like a sleep walker, all he could see was Summer standing there, no one else existed, it was just the two of them. He knew that this was it, this was the moment that would change his life and every thing depended on it. His whole happiness rested on this small moment of time in this vast cavern of a sound stage. She looked so tiny and fragile and he had broken her, could he put back together what had been shattered, he didn’t know and he was terrified. He stopped in front of her and their eyes met.

‘Cue the music’ Frank’s voice called out but neither of them heard it. Their eyes were locked together, nothing could have averted their gaze, nothing else existed to them. ‘Rolling camera, action.’

You came softly shyly moving  
Easy as a dreamer into my room

And before I realised the danger   
I found myself staring into your eyes

Somewhere in their colours  
I saw promises of things I’d never seen before  
It’s all over   
I’ve got to have you

Felicia stood looking at Greg, doubt written on her face. Reaching out Greg brushed her cheek tenderly, a mountain of regret welling up inside him as tears spilled down her face. Leaning in he tenderly kissed her cheeks, her eyes, willing her to stop crying as his tears mingled with hers. She tried to speak but he gently shushed her, his finger to her lips. No words needed to be said, nothing mattered as he softly brushed her lips with his, trembling at the touch as they met.

Holding onto, talking, saying nothing.  
Knowing in a moment I could lose you.

Then without a warning I remembered that  
You trembled at the touch of my hand.

Knowing when you came to me that no one else  
Would ever feel the same in my arms  
It's all over...I've got to have you.

‘I’m sorry’ Greg almost whimpered, ‘I am so sorry.’ He was kissing her almost frantically now, as if willing his kisses to wipe away the hurt… ‘I’m sorry’. Felicia looked into his eyes through her tears, her face softened under his gaze. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into her, their lips meeting now with a searching passion, words of forgiveness unspoken, actions saying it all. 

Lightly lifting her into his arms, Greg carried her over to the bed, laying her gently on the soft covering as though she was some delicate and fragile piece of spun glass. She clung to him as he carried her, melting at the touch of his skin against hers. He stood for a moment looking at her, his face a tidal wave of emotions before she held out her small hand to him. Felicia whispered ‘It’s all right, it’s going to be all right, I forgive you can you ever forgive me?’

The crew were spell bound, some of them hardened professionals that had been around the industry for years and seen good, bad and indifferent performances, none of them had ever seen the depth of emotion they were witnessing now, not one of those present was not touched by the scene unfurling in front of them, each one of them almost holding their breath in anticipation of what was to come. 

He lay down beside her, tenderly stroking her face as their eyes were locked with each others. ‘I love you Felicia, you are the love of my life’ Greg whispered, brushing the hair out of her eyes. ‘I love you too Greg. Every moment that we have been apart I have felt lost, not whole …like part of me was missing.’ Greg looked at her and hesitated, ‘I can’t live with out you, I don’t want to live without you.’

He took her in his arms, kissing her now with a mounting sense of need. Both of them were breathing hard, there bodies fused together, unable to stave of the longing for each other for one more moment, taking each other, sinking into the depths of their souls. 

‘Okay, that’s beautiful guys.’ Franks voice echoing out across the set broke into the spell of the magic that the camera had just filmed. The small crew let out a collective sigh as they wrapped the scene. No one there who had been witness to this was in any doubt that there would be any retakes. Nothing was ever going to top what they had just witnessed. There was not one single person on the set that had not stood mesmerised and moved by what they had seen. 

Gery and Summer barely even noticed what was going on around them. Frank’s voice had drifted into the moment but it had no effect. Both of them knew that it may have been Greg and Felicia on screen but for them it was the two of them and no one else. 

‘My car?’ Gery questioned almost too afraid to hope as they prepared to leave the set for their respective dressing rooms. Summer gave a small nod, she was unable to speak to him now that the scene was over and it was Gery standing there and not Greg. ‘Half an hour’ was all she was able to get out before turning and leaving. 

Once gone, Frank came over to Gery where he was standing watching Summer retreat to her dressing room. ‘Thank you’ Gery said as he turned to him, his face a picture of doubt and insecurity. ‘Good luck’ Frank said as he patted him on the back. ‘Go get her Gery, she is worth it. And Gery, you don’t need to worry, she wasn’t acting.’

Gery watched her as she walked through the parking lot to his car. He was swallowing hard, his heart pounding with anticipation of their meeting. He thought that she too looked almost as scared as he did and in a way, that gave him hope but he wasn’t sure, he knew that he could be wrong, he could have read everything wrong and he had gotten so many things wrong as far as Summer was concerned. Despite what Frank had said he didn’t know if she had merely been acting out the scene between the two fictional lovers or whether it had been real but he was about to find out.

Summer opened the door of the car and got in. There were a million words needed to be spoken between the two of them but now, when face to face neither could bring them selves to say anything, neither having the courage to break the ice and scared of what may happen if they did. Gery started the car and drove to his home. 

In all the time that Summer had been with him she had never once been there. She had been curious of course but she had respected his privacy plus, they had always been so wrapped up in the small world they had created in her little home that it had not really been a big deal but now, as Summer walked into the large tastefully furnished house she was surprised. 

She had expected she didn’t know what, some glitzy bachelor pad but instead she found it to be smart and elegantly furnished. There were no trappings of Hollywood success, just a neat, clean and tidy home with touches of elegance smattered with small reminders of Gery’s heritage here and there, pictures of his parents and other mementoes on the mantel piece above the open fireplace. 

In the corner of the room stood a small black baby grand piano and sitting on it a framed photo of her that he had taken at the waterfall, the soft morning light casting its palette on her skin but the glow on her face was not attributable to the lighting, she knew it was because of him. He was responsible for the look on her face, it was the after glow of their love making that shone through. 

She took all this in as he was standing watching her. He had never let any of his conquests into his own world before, never bedded them here, this was his own personal space and he had always kept that other world that he belonged to at a distance but Summer was his whole world and he wanted her to see it, to know him for him, where he lived and what he really was. 

Gery watched her face soften as she stood looking at the photo on the piano. She had walked over to it, drawn by it and picking it up looked at it closely, recapturing that moment of time they had shared before she put in back and turned to face him, a tear glistening on her cheek. 

‘Oh god, Summer I …’ ‘Gery I am so ….’ They both started to speak at the same time, ‘Can you ever forgive me?’ his words spilling out before she could go on. Somehow she was in his arms, he was kissing her tears away, her cheeks, her eyes, her hair until finally and tentatively, just as Greg had done in the scene earlier that day, he found her mouth and brushed her lips. ‘I love you, I love you’ he said over and over until they were locked together in a kiss of such overwhelming forgiveness that is stilled his voice. 

He picked her up and carried her gently to his bedroom and just as Greg had done, he laid her softly on the bed fully clothed, lying down beside her. He stroked her hair away from her face, marvelling at the silkiness of it again, like the softest of velvet running through his fingers as he lay on his side looking down at her. 

‘Can you ever forgive me? Can I ever make up for what I have done? Can you ever love me again Summer, tell me now and I will understand if what I have done has broken us. I won’t ever come near you again I promise, if you can’t then I understand but I need to know, I have to know.’ His eyes were searching hers, willing her to answer him but frightened by what response he may get.

‘Gery, I never stopped loving you and I don’t think that I ever can stop loving you’ she whispered to him as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down to her. They lay arm in arm besides one another holding and kissing each other, those mountains of words that had lain between them unspoken but they knew that they had time for those conversations later, for words of apologies and regret. Now was not the time, they had found each other again and that was enough. 

I don't know the feeling so I don't know if it's love  
But it's enough...It's enough  
I can't help it...I've got to have you.  
It's all over...I've got to have you.

The dusk deepened and when the room darkened completely Gery stood and turned on the bedside lamp reaching over to Summer as he stood. She stood before him and slowly, one by one, began to undo the buttons of his deep navy coloured silk shirt as he in turn slid his hands into her top, gently lifting it over her head and let it fall unheeded on to the carpet beside the bed.

Summer reached inside his shirt and slid the silky fabric over his muscular shoulders, running her hands down his chest and lightly curling his soft hair through her fingers. Gery drew in his breath at the touch of her hand, closing his eyes and swallowing hard. 

He wrapped his arms around her and fumbled as he undid the clasp of her bra, freeing her full breasts and he drew her into him, holding her against his warm skin. He found her lips again and kissed her softly, parting hers with his tongue, caressing and probing, teasing her as he deepened the kiss.

Summer broke slightly away as she ran her hands down his chest to undo his jeans, struggling a little with the thick button then finally slowly unzipping him. Gery stood still, unable to move, the excitement coursing through him at her touch as slipped her small hands into the waist band of his jeans to slide them off, drove him mad with want. 

He watched her as she slipped her jeans down her smooth tanned legs, stepping out of them and then forward to lean against him. They stood holding each other, running their hands over their bodies, the embrace firing their passions, inflaming their unquenchable desire for each other, Gery’s hardness against her fuelling her. Almost shyly now, he turned and lightly lifted her onto the bed. 

He looked down at her as he lay on top of her, her lovely legs wrapped around him. ‘I love you Summer, you believe that don’t you?’ his voice shaking as his body shook with the deep emotions he was feeling. ‘I love you too, you do believe me don’t you, there is no one else, it’s only you.’ Then just as she had the first time they had made love she reached up to his mouth to kiss him, a sign this time of forgiveness, finding his swollen man hood with her hand she guided him into her silky wetness. 

They lay in each others arms spent, Summer’s tears mingling with his as they held each other, falling asleep like two lost children comforting one another in their need. They woke at the same time, eyes opening to look at each other and wonder if the past few days had really happened or merely been some bad dream they had both had. 

Wakin' in the morning to the tenderness  
Of holding you asleep in my arms.

Dreaming while my hair was blowing  
Softer than a whisper on my cheek.

I don't know the feeling so I don't know if it's love  
But it's enough...It's enough

I can't help it...I've got to have you.  
It's all over...I've got to have you.

‘I’ve got to have you again’ he whispered as he looked into the pools of her aquamarine eyes and he fell in love with her all over again.


	15. Chapter 15

‘I need a cuppa’ Gery suddenly said and flung himself out of bed. ‘Come on, we’ll have breakfast out on the balcony’ he smiled as he pulled the covers off Summer then his face clouded over taking on a serious expression ‘and … we’ll talk.’ Before Summer could say anything Gery’s cell rang. Picking it up off the bedside table he saw Franks ID come up. He smiled over at Summer ‘there’s a robe hanging in the bath room you can use, don’t dress we’ll shower after breakfast. Won’t be a mo, I have to take this’ he was humming to him self as he left the room, not bothering to dress at all. 

Summer got out of bed and wondered over to the en suite. She hadn’t really taken anything in last night when she had arrived, her nerves had been so fraught but now looking around she was really blown away with Gery’s home. She peeked into the bath room looking for the robe and was impressed out of her socks with it, hell it was about three times the size of hers, and talk about luxurious. The tiles were all some kind of Peruvian marble and complimented the sunken spa. There were twin basins and a double shower with those body spray type of fittings, like standing in the rain or under a waterfall. She flushed at the memory, smiling to herself, that would figure wouldn’t it, with the way Gery just loved having showers it was only fitting that his own en suite would be like the Taj Mahal of bathrooms. 

Summer grabbed a purple silk robe she found, wrapping herself in the scent of him that clung to its soft folds, and walked back out in search of him. Her feet sinking into the thick cream carpet made no noise as she followed the sound of his voice through the spacious hallway, passing several tastefully decorated guest bedrooms, one of which had been converted into a gym with all the modern equipment Gery used to keep his body looking the way it did. She knew from what he had said that he was no gym freak, in fact the opposite, he had a hard time disciplining himself, being the first to admit that he hated work outs of any kind that is until they had begun their power walks then that had changed his mind. 

Gery’s voice grew louder as she finally walked into the living room. He was sitting on the arm of the couch, his back to her and did not hear her come in behind him as she stopped for a moment to listen to his side of the conversation. ‘Frank that’s perfect, yep sure.’ Gery was deep in conversation ‘No, mate that should be fine, I just want ….. well, you know what I want….. yes, yes I know it’s a bit of a surprise; it was a hell of a one to me too mate but ….okay that sounds like just the ticket….. right I will, no she doesn’t and I don’t want her to… yes’ Gery almost giggled ‘yes I know, it should be, I just hope that… you think? Well I hope that you are right mate. Cheers and mate….yes I know but well, you know what I mean. No, we can talk about that later if that is okay with you, you know all the details.’ 

Summer walked softly over to him while he was engrossed in the conversation and wrapped herself around him, draping her arms over his shoulders and running her hands down his chest. Hmm, he really does need another wax she was thinking even though she loved running her fingers through his soft downy hair and feeling him shiver at her touch at the same time trailing tiny kisses down his neck. Gery turned his head, his cell still to his ear and kissed her awkwardly, making gestures and mouthing ‘won’t be long luv’ as he smiled. 

‘Listen mate, really appreciate it. Yes fine, gotta go, see you then, cheers bye’ and he hung up hurriedly, dropping the cell onto the coffee table. He turned, still sitting on the arm rest and slid his fingers into the neckline of the robe, fingering the fabric as he slipped his hands deeper searching for her breasts. ‘Purple really suits you, that robe sure does not look ‘alf as good on me as it does on you’ he said huskily as he pulled her into him with a force so hard that he over balanced and fell backwards onto the couch pulling her with him. 

‘It’s my favourite colour and you did that on purpose,’ she laughed as she disengaged herself from the tangle of arms and legs and sat astride him. ‘No I didn’t but I couldn’t have planned it better if I tried’ he smirked giving a small thrust of his hips, his hands running down her skin where the robe had fallen open. She closed her eyes, arching her back when he cupped her breasts and gently fingered her nipples then moved his hands to her hips and slowly began to rock her against his growing hardness. ‘You … are… just … so very …’ her words trailed off. ‘I am aren’t I?’ he rasped ‘You make me like this Summer. I can’t get enough of you.’

She fell forward, pressing herself against his body, searching for his lips, crushing them to her. She wanted him, she was as bad as he was, she always wanted him, and he was her addiction. She gasped and shuddered as he found her, smoothly gliding into her wetness. 

‘Have I told you today that I love you?’ Summer asked him, gazing into his eyes as they lay sandwiched together on the couch in the after glow they were both feeling. ‘Summer I am so sorry, I can never …’ She lent in and kissed him ‘Gery don’t’ she interrupted him. ‘We need to talk but not now, not like this after we … do you know how amazing you are?’ she blushed at her own words, her face scarlet, her eyes still shining. 

Summer had never seen Gery blush as much as he did at her words. ‘I umm’ he was mumbling, ‘What, what are you trying to say?’ she was looking at him as he squirmed under her gaze. ‘If I am then it is because of you. Don’t you know how much I love you? If I didn’t then I wouldn’t have acted like such a prick. Babes, did I hurt you? I mean I know that I did but you know what I mean?’ he said looking away shamed faced.

She knew exactly what he meant and he wasn’t talking about her emotional hurt but she wasn’t ready yet to go down that path. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his face to look at her, swallowing hard. ‘I am not going to lie to you, I was so very hurt but’ she swallowed as tears glistened in his eyes, ‘Gery, I shouldn’t have gotten carried away like I did. You told me that it was only acting and I know that it was but…’ she bit her lip, she had to be honest, they had to talk about this and clear the air at all costs, it was the only way that they would then really know if they could move forward or, if what they had last night and now was to be their swan song. 

They sat up simultaneously, Summer moving to the chair opposite him, both wearing the same serious look even though it was hard to be serious with Gery sitting there naked and Summer with the robe falling from her shoulders and looking good enough to eat as far as he was concerned. 

‘I had to know if what we had was real. Gery you have been like a dream come true. I fought my feelings for as long as I could, I never went out looking for anything, I … I have never told you what my life had been like before we met. I never wanted you to know I was so ashamed of it, so broken by it that I never thought that I could ever feel anything real again. Then you came along and you made me smile and laugh and it was like a dream come true and that was just it, I had to know was it just some fantastic dream that out there in the real world it just wouldn’t cut it. And Gery, do you know the whole time that I was kissing Jules all I could think about was you. All I kept thinking was how different it was, how it was not you and it was not real. I needed to really make sure.’ Tears spilled down her cheeks as she went on. ‘I found that the only real thing in my life is you.’ 

He raised her hand and kissed it. ‘It is my fault, I told you it was just acting and it didn’t mean anything, that you should pretend it was me and that’s what you did and Summer, you were wonderful, you were so wonderful that watching you I wanted you, I wanted you so badly and I don’t know,’ he hung his head then looked at her ‘suddenly it just became too much, it was like you were there doing it with Jules and I couldn’t take it. I was so angry then, I was so hurt. I know that it doesn’t make sense when it was me that got you into this but … I …I’ve never been jealous before, I have never in my whole life felt what it feels like and it was so horrible and irrational and just hideous. I never want to feel like that ever again.’

‘You talked about not being able to feel again, well at least you knew what it was like to feel, you had experienced it. I have never felt this way in my life. Until we met I had never told anyone that I loved them apart from my parents, I told you that once. Summer you are the first woman that I have ever let into this place; I never really wanted anyone to come here to my own space, to see the real me. Oh I know that everyone thinks that I am a cliché, the typical horn bag bachelor, screwing anyone that he wants but take a look around, this is me, not that reputation that I know you suspected was the real me when we met. I have an apartment that I use when I want to well, when I want that kind of thing but I never bought anyone here.’

She glanced around at the room, it wasn’t glitzy or glamorous, it was chic and stylish but more in a homely way than what she would call a Hollywood Stars way. There were pictures of his family and his beloved family pets from back home, he was absolutely nuts about dogs, nearly every shot included one or more of his boys as he was growing up. Draped over a corner table was a soccer scarf from his football club Wigan, they had been saved by the skin of their teeth from relegation to Champion division in the very last match of the season and he had been ecstatic as he had sat glued to the match. 

On the table next to this were various programs and memorabilia from his career including a small snippet from the local newspaper that had reviewed his very first performance as a nine year old when he had played Tom Sawyer in a local theatre production but there were none of the many awards from his LA movie days, only the things that were important to him, personal and small things that would surprise anyone visiting. There was nothing glamorous about the room, nothing of the trappings that would be expected, just a reflection of a quite simple person with perhaps a touch of home sickness. She looked at him with new eyes, appreciating what he was telling her about himself, the real self. 

Even the soft music he had playing in the background had surprised her, she had never figured him for a Phantom of the Opera fan but some how she might have guessed, he would never ever admit it but he was such a romantic at heart she thought as she listened to the words of the song.

*No more talk of darkness,  
Forget these wide-eyed fears.  
I'm here,   
nothing can harm you -   
my words will   
warm and calm you. 

Let me be your freedom,   
let daylight dry your tears.   
I'm here with you, beside you,   
to guard you and to guide you...

Say you love me every waking moment,   
turn my head with talk of summertime...   
Say you need me with you now and always...   
Promise me that all you say is true -   
that's all I ask of you...

Let me be your shelter,   
let me be your light.   
You're safe:   
No-one will find you -   
your fears are far behind you...

All I want is freedom,   
a world with no more night...  
and you, always beside me,   
to hold me and to hide me...

Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...  
let me lead you from your solitude....  
Say you need me with you here, beside you...  
anywhere you go, let me go too -   
Christine, that's all I ask of you...

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...  
say the word and I will follow you...

Share each day with me,   
each night,   
each morning...

Say you love me...

You know I do...

Love me - that's all I ask of you...

Anywhere you go let me go too...   
Love me - that's all I ask of you...

I gave you my music...  
made your song take wing...  
and now how you've repaid me:   
denied me and betrayed me...  
He was bound to love you when he heard you sing... 

Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...  
say the word and I will follow you...  
Share each day with me, each night, each morning...

You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you...!

 

‘I came from a working class back ground; there is nothing posh about me. I may sound it but I had “the lad” forced out of me when I went to drama school and was made to “talk proper”, this here is who and what I am.’

‘You know what, the morning that we met on the first day of shooting, do you know why I was running late that day?’ he asked her, ‘I had sat there in the apartment after… after the bird from the night before had left and wondered what the bleeding hell I was doing with my life, where was I going and what my future was. Summer over the last few years I have hated my life, this feeling of something missing that had crept up on me and then, on that very day, I met you and I just knew you were so different to anyone that I had met. You didn’t want me for my … for’ he hesitated ‘For your body or your looks?’ she finished, ‘yeh, if anything you fought me so hard that I didn’t think that you ever would, to be honest’ he smiled a tiny rueful smile. ‘And then when you gave yourself to me’ his mouth crumpled and a tear trickled down his cheek, ‘it wasn’t the sex, all though god knows I wanted you more than I have ever wanted any one, it was the fact that you trusted me, you gave me your heart,’ his voice caught on these last words ‘and now I have hurt you when I promised you that I wouldn’t,’ he hung his head unable to look at her his guilt was so overwhelming.

‘You talk of guilt and that is something that I understand, I walked out on someone once and they died. I never got the chance to say that I was sorry. I never got the chance to explain why I hurt them so much that they felt so abandoned they would stick a needle in their arm and die. He had hurt me and I hurt him, just like now. Gery I lived with that guilt for years. I could have stayed and tried getting him help, that was what he needed … but I didn’t. I walked away putting me before him and he was dead in days. If you think for one minute that you can’t forgive yourself for what happened don’t. We were both wrong, we made a mistake, it happened and it is done. I have learnt that if you can’t undo something, can’t change something, if you go on punishing your self for it then you are even more guilty, but guilty of something far worse, you are guilty of wasting your life and for that there is no forgiveness. You don’t get a second chance at it, you loose it forever.’

She dropped down on her knees in front of him and took his hands in hers. He still could not bring himself to look at her. ‘Gery look at me’ she said softly to him as her hand lifted his face until their eyes met, ‘you were jealous because you care so much and I was unsure because I want so very much for this to be real. I love you, that hasn’t changed and I don’t think that it can change. You have given me back something that I lost and never thought I would ever have back again but it’s more than that. You say that you have never loved before and I am telling you that I have never loved like this before and I know now, I can never love like this again and will never have what we have ever again’ she said as stroked his cheek. 

He took her hand and raised it to his lips. ‘I love you so very much, I look at you and just want to hold you. From the moment I saw you, you are all that I can think about. When we aren’t together I wonder what you are doing, where you are, how you are feeling. You have filled that emptiness in my life, that part of me that I felt there was something missing ….its gone. I feel whole when I am with you, like I have found something that I never knew I needed but now I can’t live without.’ He shook his head his head sadly ‘Summer I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself, I just don’t know.’

‘I forgive you, can you forgive you, and can you forgive me? Please for my sake forgive yourself, don’t throw away what we have and don’t throw your life away on regret. It isn’t worth it and it eats you away until there is nothing left of you.’ Her face was so close to his he could feel her warm breath on his face, her eyes were beseeching him to believe her. He gazed into them and was lost in their depth. His heart was pounding. 

Swallowing hard he nuzzled her as he wrapped his hands around her neck and drew her in. ‘I love you, I love you’ he said into her mouth as they kissed a kiss like Greg and Felicia’s, a kiss of unqualified forgiveness for them both. They had come through the test of their love and had found each other again and both knew beyond doubt it was real.


	16. Chapter 16

‘How about I make you some breakfast or I should say brunch’ Gery said looking at the clock on the mantel piece over the fire place. They were smiling now, the emotions of the past days and of their outpourings had evaporated. They were both feeling a little shattered from the emotional turmoil but oddly enough they were at peace with the place they were now in, like someone after a major surgery although in pain, the intense relief of having made it through and on the way to recovery being such a relief that the pain becomes secondary. That was almost how they were both feeling, they were here and had survived and wanted time to heal but knew that they could and with time would walk past this, it would just be a memory to be locked away with the door firmly closed. 

They sat out on the terrace with the sun streaming down on them eating eggs and drinking some kind of energy drink that he had concocted for Summer that impressed her, it was really quite delicious. ‘Not bad’ she had said to him surprised as he had never made anything quite like that before for her. ‘You really are full of surprises aren’t you’ she smiled. He stopped eating and looked at her, he looked as though he was about to speak then stopped himself and just smiled and kissed her hand. ‘Have I told you that I love you today’ he smiled at her. ‘Have I told you that you are one hell of a good cook?’ she laughed with a mouthful. ‘Oh by the way what did Frank want? You never did tell me, we kind of got side tracked,’ she blushed a little as she said this.

‘Oh yeh, they have changed the location for the final scene. You know Frank and his big ideas. He’s decided that it wasn’t going to be big enough to do the end justice so he’s done a bit of a re write and is scouting for new locations.’ Summer looked surprised but shrugged. ‘So how is it going to be different do you know?’ He was sipping his drink so didn’t answer immediately. ‘I think that he’s decided that seeing it is supposed to be Greg and Celia’s wedding day that half the town should be there so it will be a lot bigger than originally and a lot funnier what with Greg almost being at the alter when Felicia shows up to almost rescue him while Celia is actually on the side lines bonking Andreas.’ 

‘Frank was a bit vague about all the details but I am sure that what ever he comes up with will work or I hope it so. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see won’t we?’ he said sounding a little unsure. ‘I do know one thing though, it means that we have a couple of days up our sleeves, so’ he smiled ‘what would you like to do, I was kind of hoping that …’ she raised her eye brows questioningly ‘Kind of hoping what?’ He cleared his throat ‘I was kind of hoping that maybe you would like to come on a little trip with me, you have a passport right?’ she nodded ‘well I’ve been a bit worried about my Mum, she’s been a bit crook lately and I wouldn’t mind going home for a quick visit. Would you like to come?’ Summer had never been to England. 

She looked doubtfully at him. ‘Sure, I’d love to if you think that it would be all right, I mean if your Mum isn’t too well she might prefer to see you on her own without some stranger tagging along.’ ‘Trust me, she’ll be right chuffed. That’s settled then, now how about we go take that shower?’ he smiled wickedly at her. ‘Just a shower Gery’ she looked him severely, as he laughed, ‘Yes, scouts honour just a shower’. 

‘You learn something every day’ she was saying as she stepped into the warm spray of shower jets,’ ‘What’s that luv?’ he asked ‘I didn’t know that you were in the scouts.’ He wrapped his arms around her trailing small kisses across her shoulder and down her body mouthing ‘I wasn’t.’

The world wind three day trip to the UK left Summer somewhat breathless. They had packed and been at the airport within a matter of hours after she had agreed to accompany him. She had been charmed by his Mum and could see where he got his looks and personality from as she sat watching his Mum and Dad fill him in on all the goings on of their family and friends. They were both really attractive and loving people and not afraid to show it, she could see from just the way they would touch each other in small familiar ways where he got his loving mannerism from, after years of marriage they were still very much in love with each other and it was so sweet to see. She had been made to feel welcome by all and was the centre of attention at the impromptu get together they had thrown for her where all the extended family had shown up. 

‘You really shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble’ she was telling his Mum as she gave her a hand to do the dishes. ‘Luv it’s no trouble besides…’ she grinned ‘it’s the first time our lad has ever bought a girl home to meet Mum and Dad. This is a very special occasion for us’ and she hugged Summer tightly. Summer blushed a deep crimson and looking up saw Gery in the doorway of the small kitchen standing studying her reactions. ‘Come on luv, cousin Harold wants to talk to you about ‘I was a teenage fangbanger’, he’s seen it eighteen times now and wants to know if there is any chance of a sequel’ he said laughing as he took her hand and lead her into the tiny hallway between the kitchen and the living room where he stopped and pinning her gently to the wall, he kissed her tenderly. 

‘I have wanted to do that for hours’ he said. ‘I have been wanting you to do that for hours too’ she looked at him lovingly. ‘Gery can you…’ his Mum had stuck her head around the corner of the door way but stopped mid sentence, smiling to herself at the sight of the two of them locked together before she went back to tidying up, humming softly to herself. She had never been so happy in her life as she was seeing him looking like he did, if a man could glow then you could light up the Black pool lights off the glow from Gery, she was thinking to herself and chuckled.

They arrived back in LA three days later to a media frenzy. The report that had leaked the snippet from the set had created some interest but that was nothing to the grainy pictures that had appeared of the two of them on his balcony eating breakfast, with the question ‘Who is that girl AGAIN?’ or similar captions next to every shot. They were lucky that no one had seen them at the airport and this was mainly due to Gery travelling under his real name of Winters instead of his stage name, the paparazzi was yet to pick up on that. They were also lucky that no one had any idea of who Summer was or where she lived so escaping to her apartment gave them time to evaluate their position. 

The minute they had stepped off the plane and turned their cells back on Gery had received message after message, all of them ‘urgent’. Artie was going nuts in at least eight of them and Summer had multiple messages from Clair. When they had cranked up the computer to check their emails at home, they found Summer’s inbox was full with email after email from those few close ‘Gery’s Girls’ friends that she had developed personal relationships with and she had met with once every few months to have a coffee, a chat and a general catch up. They had some how managed to recognise her from the grainy shots that had appeared all over face book and in the online gossip pages, much to her horror. 

Gery was looking over her shoulder as she read one subject heading after another in her email grid and he gently massaged her shoulders as he felt the tension building in her. ‘Shite, well that’s torn it hasn’t it’ he laughed. ‘Guess it’s not going to take long for them to find us here if all the girls know. You’d better log in and check the site, there’s sure to be something on there which means it won’t take long for it to get out.’ She shook her head as the home page came up and she logged in ‘Don’t be too sure about that, the girls love you and would rather die than do anything that would give you any grief – trust me you have no idea how very protective of you they are.’ 

Summer was right, in message after message she had received all the GGs, as the Gery’s Girls were known amongst themselves, all of them were nothing but supportive and were one hundred percent behind their right to privacy, some even offering to fend off the hoards of paparazzi they felt must be thronging outside her front door. ‘That is so sweet.’ Gery was saying really touched ‘they really are a great bunch of birds.’ ‘They are all in love with you and are totally wonderful and caring women, you would love them.’ He was thoughtful ‘Perhaps one day we could meet, you know have a bit of a get together.’ ‘Oh Gery you don’t know what that would mean to them.’ She was beaming at him, her eyes shining at the thought of the reaction he would cause, in some cases it would be priceless just to see.

They laid low for the next two days, filming was due to recommence as soon as Frank notified them that all was ready and in the mean time Summer had called Clair and asked her if she could pick up a list of essentials that they needed just to keep them going, reading her a list of various bits and pieces. Clair laughed as she wrote them down asking ‘Since when are Belgium truffles essentials’ and was still laughing as she hung up but not before telling her how happy she was for her that Gery was back. ‘You had me worried hun and I am so glad that the two of you have patched things up. Summer for what it’s worth, he’s a keeper. Just make sure that you do,’ she had said so sincerely that it bought tears to Summer’s eyes. ‘I know that hun but it’s not really up to me is it?’ 

On the Sunday afternoon Frank called to let them know that all was set and filled Gery in with a few details, confirming some prearranged discussions they had been working out via texts and emails over the last week including confirmation of the location and times. ‘Everything is all set and ready, you just need to make sure that you and Summer live up to your parts’ he had said laughing before hanging up. ‘What’s so funny’ Summer asked as she looked across at him from in front of computer as she sat answering yet more messages of support from her friends to where he was sitting on her couch grinning. ‘Frank, he has high hopes that the scene from the new ending is going to be mind blowing’ he laughed and left it at that. Summer shrugged, really the two of them were just like little kids at times. 

In the morning when they had left to go on location Gery had not told her where it was and she had been too engrossed in going over her lines yet again to ask. ‘You know,’ she said looking up as he drove, ‘I don’t really see a great deal of difference between this and the original script apart from a line here or there and the location of course.’ He shrugged, ‘He has made a few changes to my lines and of course, as you said the location and the number of people in the scene. He’s invited just about everyone that we know – well “Greg and Felicia” know that is.’ 

Summer looked up from her script as the car slowed and was wide eyed when she saw that they were pulling into the parking area of the same stretch of beach they had been to when they had first gotten together except that now it was full of people, vans and the various paraphernalia required to shoot a movie. ‘This is where we came…’ Gery was laughing. ‘I think that Frank got the idea from me. I happened to mention to him how lovely this spot was so he must have had a look at it and agreed with me.’ ‘It is very beautiful here’ Summer sighed a little thinking back to that first night they had spent on the beach and the awakening feelings she had felt. Really she thought this was a special place for them both as she looked around the beach that was looking even more spectacular than ever, if that was possible.

The whole beach had been done out for the wedding scene. It looked really beautiful. The set designers had done a wonderful job and had really gone to town transforming the place into a romantic setting for the perfect wedding. Leading down to the beach there were garlands of flowers made up of roses, lilies and jasmine all strung along the steps that had rose petals scattered over them. On the beach its self rows of seating had been set up as per standard wedding etiquette but they were decorated with large white and purple bows, matching the flower covered arch way that had been placed at the end of the carpeted aisle leading to the small area where Greg and Celia were supposed to say their vows. 

They had paid so much attention to detail that Summer was totally impressed. She could see as she stood looking down from above they had even gone to the trouble of printing programs for the ‘guests’ she noticed as she watched some of the set staff lay them out on the empty chairs. ‘Oh I so have to get one of those as a memento of the shoot’ she laughed as she turned to Gery ‘they have certainly done a fantastic job. Frank really is a genius to have thought of this. It looks wonderful doesn’t it?’ She smiled at him as he looked at her. ‘You look wonderful’ he said softly to her. ‘Gery shhh, there are too many people around, haven’t you seen some of the looks we got when we got out of the car?’ Gery sighed ‘Yes you are right. Come on we had better get a move on’ as they made their way over to their respective trailers, her smaller one standing next to his. As she was about to go in she noticed a bus pulling into the parking lot. That Frank, she laughed to herself, only he could think of bussing the extras out here to save on parking. 

Summer stepped out of the trailer looking simply stunning. Her hair had been pinned up in an elaborately swept up style, small flowers fastened randomly here and there, tiny tendrils of curls cascading around her face. The dress that she had been given to wear as her costume for the scene had totally blown her away. It was of a deep purple colour, with a bodice of chiffon lattice work covered in matching coloured bead pearls and tiny sequins the shone as the sunlight caught them in the light. The dress was strapless and showed off her shoulders to perfection as did the long trailing wrap made of the same fabric that she was to wear wrapped around her neck so it would trail out behind her as she walked. She had to admit she felt wonderful and who wouldn’t in a dress like that. 

She looked around for Gery but could not see him anywhere. Frank came over to her as she was about to make her way towards the beach. ‘You look simply stunning’ he smiled kissing her on the cheek. It was the first time he had seen her on her own since they had gotten back together and she suddenly felt very emotional. ‘How are you feeling’ he asked her without wishing to imply anything. ‘Frank you were right’ she said quietly ‘and I think that what happened perhaps needed to happen. It has given us a better understanding of each other.’ ‘Good I am glad. Now, we have a very important ceremony to get underway’ he chuckled, his little standard Machiavellian laugh. ‘I was just looking for Gery’ she said looking around, ‘do you know where he is?’ Frank waved his finger at her ‘Now you know that it’s not the done thing to see the groom before the wedding’ he laughed ‘and seeing how Felicia is part of the wedding party and Greg is standing there waiting for her, you will have to wait now while we do the pre wedding jitter shots of Greg waiting at the alter. Good luck’ he laughed as he bent and kissed her again.

Summer thought that this was taking it a little too far but she knew how much Frank loved to get his actors totally involved in the scene so she said nothing besides, she had to focus and get herself into the moment. The whole premise of the scene being that when Felicia searches for Celia to find out why she is running so late at her own wedding, she finds her in a compromised position with Andreas and has to be the one to inform Greg waiting patiently, if not more than a little reluctantly at the alter, that the wedding is not going ahead. Greg then in turn seizes his chance to declare his love for her and in typical chick flick fashion doesn’t waste the opportunity of having a celebrant handy. A happy ever after wedding with closing shots of Greg and Felicia standing on the beach at sunset arm in arm kissing as the end titles roll to melt everyone’s hearts.

Summer stood at the top of the stairs waiting for her cue, Goldie coming forward at the last minute to do a quick touch up to her lip gloss. ‘You look beautiful’ she said standing back to see the full effect of Summer in her costume, tearing up. ‘Gee Goldie thanks but there’s no need to cry.’ Goldie laughed embarrassed ‘I always cry at weddings, real or not’ she excused herself ‘I can’t help it.’ Summer smiled excitedly ‘Well just think of this, you will be next’ she laughed squeezing her hand and laughing again. She really had to hand it to Frank, his methods sure worked magic on everyone, and it really did have a wedding like atmosphere to it. She saw the sense now in his filming the sequence where she discovers Celia making out with Andreas at an earlier time, it would not have had the same feeling around the shoot if they hadn’t. This was really perfect.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Sam, Franks assistant came across to tell her they were ready to shoot. On cue she walked carefully down the stairs playing the part of the reluctant bridesmaid about to tell the groom his bride was a no show but at the same time she had to convey the feelings of hope and relief that Felicia would be feeling now that Greg would be free from the unwanted marriage. She noticed the ‘guests’ were all playing their parts well by focussing on Greg standing anxiously at the alter waiting because obviously her arrival on the scene should be totally unexpected and right on cue, as she reached him, there would be a soft ripple of chatter spreading through them. 

Because she had been concentrating on making it down the stairs in one piece in heels, she had not had the chance to see Gery but as she walked down the red carpet and looked towards him, despite remaining in character her heart did give a flutter, he looked unbelievable. The costume department had chosen a dark midnight navy coloured suit of immaculate cut over a white silk embroidered waist coat, a single white rose adorning his lapel. The light in the late afternoon as with the first light of dawn was the most flattering so Frank had chosen to shoot pre dusk to capture the golden hues and as Gery stood there his hair almost glowed with soft auburn tones. He took her breath away. 

Gery as Greg waiting for Celia, turned as though looking for her then saw Summer in costume for the first time. He had never seen her look more beautiful than she did right at the moment, her dress falling softly around her, the long trailing scarf flowing out behind her as she walked towards him. He shook at the sight of her, playing his part to perfection. 

Felicia walked up to Greg gently touching his arm, Greg’s face a picture of grim doubt. ‘Felicia what is it, where is Celia?’ She took a deep breath ‘Greg, I am so sorry’ she replied attempting to sound it ‘there is no easy way to tell you this but Celia is not coming she …’ hesitating, unsure of whether or not to tell him the truth and whether in the scheme of things the reasons for Celia’s change of heart was relevant or not. It didn’t change the fact that the wedding was off. 

Greg looked into Felicia’s eyes and took her hand. ‘I am so sorry Greg, you don’t deserve this.’ Greg replied softly ‘Don’t be. Don’t you see, this was meant to happen, I am glad it happened. Felicia this is a second chance for us. We were apart, we made mistakes and we hurt each other but we found each other despite ourselves. It was meant to happen like this for us to get to the place we are in right now. I love you Summer and I always will. Marry me, right here, right now.’

He dropped down on his knees, reaching into his breast pocket as he did and he pulled out a small black velvet box. ‘Will you marry me Summer?’ 

Summer did a double take, up until that point Gery had done an absolutely amazing job of appearing to live the role, the emotions that were pouring out of him were so sincere and convincing. She looked around waiting for Frank to call cut, Gery obviously having fluffed his lines by using her real name and not that of Felicia’s but the camera was still rolling. 

She glanced over her shoulder to look for Frank’s direction and it was then that she got the shock of her life as for the first time she saw the ‘wedding guests’. She caught a glimpse of Clair’s face in the crowd sitting next to Gery’s parents. She then noticed other guests including Artie, Gery’s agent and all of her GG friends from the coffee group all sitting there waiting for her response but none more so than the man himself, Gery still on his knee looking up at her almost holding his breath. He opened the small box and took out a simply cut baguette diamond that to Summer’s eyes, looked beautiful beyond words as it caught the afternoon suns rays making it sparkle and glitter. 

Gery tentatively raised her left hand and looked into her eyes, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears and whispered ‘May I?’ as he held the precious ring in his other hand waiting for her response.


	17. Chapter 17

The guests were collectively holding their breath waiting for Summer’s response. She gave the tiniest of shy nods, ‘Yes, I will marry you’ she whispered to him as tears filled her eyes. Slipping the ring on her finger, he stood and took her in his arms and kissed her. She flung her arms around his neck as they deepened the kiss, their tears now mingling. The guests erupted into thunderous applause. ‘Have I told you today that I love you?’ he asked as he picked her up and spun her around laughing. ‘Have I told you today that you have made me the happiest that I have ever been in my life’ she replied breathlessly. 

Within the hour Gery and Summer were married by a civil celebrant that Gery had arranged with Frank to be on hand. Some how Frank had pulled strings, Gery didn’t know how but he didn’t care, it had all worked out and no one there doubted that there were any two people on this planet that were happier than they were, their love simply glowed and much to Franks delight he got it all on film, including the touching ceremony where he had been Gery’s best man and Clair, in a dress matching Summer’s but in a lighter shade of purple, had been her bridesmaid. 

Gery had thought of everything and of course had sworn those closely involved to secrecy, including Clair and his parents. His Mum and Dad were beside themselves with happiness and more than slightly overwhelmed by it all. They had never been on a film set and had been apprehensive for Gery, his Mum terrified when Gery had popped the question but she knew just by the look she had caught on Summer’s face on their visit that was the look of love, total love and so she really wasn’t all that surprised. Still it was a relief when the ceremony was over and they were declared husband and wife. 

Clair had surprised both Summer and Gery when she had come over to hug and congratulate them as she was holding hands with Jules in tow. She had met him when she had gone to the studio to have a clandestine fitting for her bridesmaid dress. The two had been introduced by Frank of all people and had hit it off immediately. They had already had several dates, much to Gery’s horror and Summer’s amusement and for once Jules seemed to be on his best behaviour. Frank nudged Gery saying ‘Don’t worry, I have already warned him, if he wants in on the project he’s got to behave and’ Frank smirked ‘you may not believe it but there must be something in the air, he’s totally taken with her and wait for this, he has even told me he is thinking of settling down a bit and taking a leaf out of your book.’ Frank laughed at Gery’s face ‘Can you beat that? I am a match maker now.’ He was still laughing as he walked away. 

 

The guests were all mingling, fed on the finger food and champagne that had been catered for when Frank had set things up after Gery’s call for help. Everything had been Gery’s idea and Frank had willingly gone along with it. He had known it was a gamble and had it failed and the two of them not reconciled, apart from the emotional issues, it would have been a very costly stunt but one that Gery had reassured him he would pay for, he didn’t care about the money, he wanted to believe in their love and was willing to put everything on line and trust in it. 

Frank had interrupted the celebrations for a quick shot of the happy couple standing on the beach looking out across the sunset that would be used as the final credits rolled. The purple and peach coloured sunset cast a luminous warm palette across the two lovers who were basking in the after glow of their vows to each other. Frank couldn’t have written something as meaningful if he tried. 

The filming was complete, the project would now be given into the hands of the editors and they would do all the magic that finished off the actors hard work. Apart from any call backs that may occur and the over dubbing of their voices for the wedding proposal and marriage ceremony, it meant that the actors jobs were done and they could now move on to what ever project they had signed up to or, if they were in hiatus they would go on holidays or for those totally committed to their craft, they would further their studies. 

For Summer and Gery it meant that they would have a couple of weeks off for a honey moon before Frank wanted to discuss the project in detail that he had planned for so long and had to put his talk with Gery on hold when things had gone so pear shaped for them.

Gery, ever the romantic carried Summer over the threshold of the cabin. They had both agreed that they could not think of anywhere better they would prefer to go to than there for their honey moon. They had arrived almost exactly at the same time that they had on their previous visit, the sun still up but the chill in the air more pronounced this time. He quickly lit the fire and had a blaze roaring in the hearth as she prepared dinner, this time he was by her side or never far away, neither could bear being too far apart from the other. 

They sat eating, enjoying each other, talking occasionally but they did not feel the need to make small conversation, they had the rest of their lives to say all the things that they needed to say and besides, they both had other things on their minds. 

While Summer did the clearing up, Gery sat at the piano picking out this and that but nothing in particular really. Now that they were there and finally alone, he was nervous with anticipation. They had spent their first married night at his home with his parents as they were due to fly back to the UK early in the morning and they wanted to spend as much time as possible with them, grateful they had made the world wind trip to be with them but no where near as happy as his Mum and Dad were, not only because their beloved son had finally bitten the bullet and married but because they both loved Summer. She had been a joy to meet and they could see how much happiness she had bought Gery. 

Because they were leaving to go back to the UK early in the morning and both Gery and Summer had insisted they take them to the airport and see them safely off, they really had not had a chance to be totally alone with each other but that didn’t matter to either of them, they knew that they would be spending the rest of their lives together so they had not had a real wedding night together, not until they got to the cabin could they totally relax, be on their own and take in all that had happened.

So here they were and for all of Gery’s experience, he was shaking in his boots so to speak. He was really nervous even though it was ridiculous he was thinking to himself. His hands shook and he misplayed several keys before giving up. Summer looked over at him from where she was putting away dishes. ‘Are you all right?’ He smiled a small grin and got up and went over to the sound system, going through various songs before making his mind up as Summer finished and walked over to him. 

He stroked her cheek gently as she wrapped her arms around him and looked up into his eyes. Suddenly it was as though they had just met, just embraced for the first time. He was trembling as her breath quickened at the touch of his delicate fingers running down her cheek to cup her face and brush the hair out of her eyes. Slowly he leant down and brushed her lips and their kiss was filled with all the love that they had ever thought possible between two people. 

There was nothing else that had ever existed but this moment and the love that they felt, Gery’s tears falling softly on her cheeks mingling with her own, tears of emotions that were heartbreakingly wonderful to him. She was his love, his only love and would be his only love for as long has he lived. 

*The first time ever I saw your face   
I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and the stars   
Were gifts you gave to the dark and the endless skies my love  
To the dark and the endless skies

They undressed each other tantalizingly slowly, tenderly caressing each other’s bodies, taking their time to savour every moment and lock it into their memories. Every heart beat, every breath and every kiss was like a new awakening for them. 

Together they lay in front of the fire on the very rug they had first made love on, where Summer had given him her trust and her heart and now they gave themselves to each other for the rest of their lives, completely and without reservation. 

The first time ever I kissed your mouth  
I felt the earth move in my hands  
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird  
That was there at my command  
My love  
That was there at my command  
My love

‘I love you Summer. I have from the very first moment I saw you. I love you so very much that it hurts,’ his voice cracked, tears spilling unashamedly as he lay looking down at her. ‘I am nothing without you.’ ‘You are everything to me, you are my love, you have given me back my life. I love you Gery, there has never been a love in my life like I feel for you.’

‘I love you Summer’ he whispered to her…. 

The first time ever I lay with you  
I felt your heart so close to mine  
And I knew our joy would fill the earth  
And last til the end of time  
My love  
And it would last till the end of time my love  
The first time ever I saw your face  
Your face  
Your face  
Your face

They took each other with a tenderness that neither had thought possible, a completeness that only those lovers with a total commitment can understand, giving themselves freely without hesitations or barriers, feeling only a total joy and the need for the other. 

The first time ever I saw your face  
Your face  
Your face  
Your face

It was like the first time. 

The next two weeks were filled with loving memories for them. They walked as they had done before but now with a sense of permanence. They talked of their future, what they both wanted, their hopes for the other and their dreams of having a life together both loving and rewarding. Despite the drop in the temperature they were lucky with the weather as there was an unusually hot spell for that time of year hitting the area and taking full advantage of it, they swam again at the waterfall and lay in the sun or hiked around, taking picture after picture of the scenery and of each other. They made love whenever and where ever the mood took them, sometimes tenderly other times with a passion that surprised them both but at all times with consideration and love, they just couldn’t get enough of each other in every sense of the word. 

Sitting in front of the fire on their last night at the cabin Summer asked Gery about the wedding. She hadn’t bought it up before as there had never seemed to be a right time but now she wanted to know. ‘Gery, was the whole thing really your idea?’ she asked him, searching his blue eyes for an answer. ‘Luv, I knew it was a risk. I didn’t even know if you would take me back at that stage but I hoped. I thought that I had blown it totally but I … well I took a chance. I asked Frank if we could re shoot the reconciliation scene again hoping that ….,’ ‘Hoping that it would be our own reconciliation’ she said softly ‘and it was.’

Gery went on, ‘And I also suggested that we change a few things about the wedding scene and well Bob’s your Uncle and Fannie’s your Aunt and here we are.’ She looked at him and poked him laughing, ‘And just what would you have done if I had said no?’ she asked him. ‘I don’t know’ he replied seriously ‘I don’t think that I could have gone on to be totally honest with you. I could not even picture myself without you but I would have understood if’ he bowed his head unable to look at her for a moment, ‘I would have understood if you couldn’t forgive me. It’s no excuse but I haven’t been able to think of anything but you since the first day we met. I never knew what falling in love, really in love was about until you came along. I hate to think of how empty my life was before we met, how meaningless and what a waste I was making of it. But Summer, you didn’t say no and you have made me so happy.’

He leant in and kissed her, running his hands through her silky hair. ‘Gery’ she said. ‘Hmm,’ ‘Gery’ she said into his mouth as his kiss deepened ‘Hmm?’ ‘Promise me….’ ‘Promise you what luv?’ he said not breaking away but nuzzling into her, attempting to smother her with yet more kisses. ‘Gery promise me something’ ‘Anything, anything that you want Babes luv’ he mumbled as he nibbled on her ear. ‘Gery promise me that from now on … I will be the only one that will wax you ever again.’

He laughed as he lay her down, ‘I promise you’ he said trailing kisses down her body till his mouth found her breasts and their conversation abruptly ceased, replaced by actions that were far more profound than words could speak. 

Arriving back in LA the next day they went straight to Summer’s apartment. They had discussed at length where they would live and although they both loved the cosiness of her place it really was too small for them and she didn’t think that it was particularly fair for Gery to give up his home and comfort any longer so they packed as much as they needed for a while, until things could be sorted and filling the boot of his car, they went back to his home.

The day that they had left on their honeymoon had been so busy that they really had no idea how much of a buzz the previous day’s filming had caused. They had made a point of no phones or laptops while on their honey moon, to hell with the rest of the world, this was their time and nothing was going to interfere with it, there would be time enough for that in the future they knew. All sorts of rumours had been circulating around, some of which were totally crazy, others were closer to the mark but none of them really had it totally right. This however just increased the interest in Gery and his comings and goings and several of the more astute paparazzi had decided the only way to get anywhere would to be via a stakeout, so that is what they did. 

As no definitive news was released via the studio publicity department the only way to get any kind of scoop was to simply sit outside his home and wait and that is what Gery and Summer found when they pulled up at his gates, a handful of photographers lying in wait ready to capture shots of Gery and the mysterious blonde that everyone had now heard of but knew nothing concrete about. 

Summer had taken the precaution of wearing large sunglasses, a cute little hat with her hair tucked up and she had turned up the collar of her shirt. Thinking themselves very clever, the one thing that neither had thought of was the fact that as they drove in one of the photographers managed to get close enough to put the camera to the window and snap a pic that showed quite clearly not only the huge baguette engagement ring on Summer’s finger but also the wedding ring she was sporting. It didn’t take long for the pictures to be flashed around the world with the most common caption being:

Hollywood Hunk Married?

This was quickly followed by yet another grainy pic taken from some distance away but blown up showing Gery carrying Summer over the threshold. There was no mistaking it for Gery, his strong shoulders and the cut of his hair were recognisable anywhere but of the woman, all that could be vaguely seen was an arm draped around his shoulder and the murky top of a head. Even enhancing had done little to reveal any details but the common consensus was that it was the same woman that he had been seen with recently and speculation was rife. 

Even Gerys Girls had run with the picture but as Summer found out after reading the editorial that GeryFanEB69 - the admin of the site had written, the article had made it quite clear the site’s policy regarding the intrusion into Gery’s life and soundly condemned the paparazzi, going as far as urging site members to boycott all media that were responsible for the intrusive tactics used to gain the pictures. 

‘Sod it, that’s really torn it hasn’t it?’ Gery laughed, using his favourite saying. ‘Oh Gery I am so sorry’ Summer was mortified that their marriage would in anyway effect his career. She was female enough to know that his marriage had the potential to possibly alienate a large portion of his fan base and that was something that could affect his future earnings plus, it meant that finally the little world that they had created had been discovered to some extent and both their lives, but hers in particular, was about to under go a drastic change. She looked crestfallen and she looked scared.

‘Heh, heh what’s wrong?’ he asked as he noticed her face. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. ‘Oh Gery’ she said hiding her face in her hands  
as her tears spilt down her face. He quickly hugged her to him, brushing aside her hands and tilting her face up to his saying ‘I know what you are thinking, how is this going to affect my career? Do you really think that it matters that much to me, that I wouldn’t trade everything just to be with you. I love you Summer, you are the most important thing in my life, nothing else matters to me.’ 

‘Look at me,’ he urged her ‘look at me, it’s me Gery. I know you and I know what this is doing to you and I don’t want you to feel like this. Do you think that I don’t know how scared you must be by all this, how I haven’t dreaded it for your sake knowing what a private person you are but luv, don’t worry, I am going to be with you every step of the way. You are never going to have to put up with any shite from those leeches out there without having me by your side. I won’t let them harm you,’ he said, taking her hand. ‘Come on’ he pulled her to him and kissed her, ‘Where are we going?’ she asked surprised. ‘We are going to see Frank and Summer, no more hiding, no more sunglasses or hats or turned up collars. You are my wife and I want to show you off to the world, I want everyone to see what a lucky guy I am’ he said to her glowing with pride. 

He didn’t know it but that was the best motivation Summer had for accepting that things were going to be very different but now, thinking about what he had just said, it didn’t matter to her what others thought of her or of him, it didn’t really matter whether Gery made films any more or not, she wanted to believe desperately that it didn’t matter what it would do to his career, if he was happy and could cope then so could she, she hoped. She had Gery, he was the man she loved and that and his happiness inside the world that they had was all that mattered to her. She could do this with him by her side loving her, he gave her the strength and confidence that she had been robbed of by her previous experiences but it was all different now. ‘I love you hun,’ she said looking up at him. ‘Love you too Babes, now come on we have things to do.’

As they drove out of the gates they stopped and winding down the window Gery waved cheekily to the waiting photographers that were still there. ‘Gery, Gery …. Who’s the blonde?’ one of the more notorious serial pests called out. ‘Lovely day mate’ Gery said with a smirk ‘oh’ he turned looking at Summer and taking her hand he kissed it, ‘you haven’t met the missus have you?’ And with that he gunned the car and sped off leaving the entire group gob smacked. 

Gery and Summer were still laughing about the look on their faces when they arrived at Frank’s house. They were through hiding, they were ready to face the world.


	18. Chapter 18

The theatre was packed to full capacity with cast, crew, and invited guests and of course the inevitable critics were there to write their reviews and either sing glowing praises or kill off months of hard work, sending money and careers down the drain. Everyone who was anyone was there to see the premiere of Summer Nights as Frank had now renamed the movie. It had been an inspiration of his that had come to him one day in the shower as he was getting ready to go into the studio and he had been quite pleased with himself over it. He had told Gery and Summer and they had been tickled pink.

There had been the usual red carpet performance before hand, an ordeal that Summer had never experienced before on this scale, the Blood Lust Grips You Awards hardly counted in the scheme of things despite being one of the most fun nights she had ever had but there was just no comparison between the two of them.

Gery had been her rock as he steadied her, calming her and whispering quips in her ear from time to time to keep her smiling through the intimidating crowd of photographers and reporters all clamouring for pics and interviews. Everyone wanted to talk to her about the film and about their marriage. They wanted to know anything and everything and could not get enough of it and of her and Gery too. 

If he had been at all worried about his career he had not shown it to her but instead of it having an adverse effect it had simply made women adore him even more. Although all the details were not totally known about how it all came to pass, the studio wanting to leak only small snippets like a drip feed to engender a frenzy they would take full advantage of, they had their publicity machine in over drive and humming for the lead up to the premiere of the movie. It was a publicist’s dream come true and quite simply was expected to put the box office takings off the chart, and the fans, well they ate it up with a spoon, the snippets of the story fuelling his image as the most romantic man in the world. 

The film premiere had finally arrived and Summer looked absolutely stunning in the gown that she had taken weeks to choose. This was one of the most important nights of her life and apart from wanting it to be a success for the sake of the film, she wanted to make Gery proud of her. She had insisted that he not see her outfit until she was fully dressed, she really wanted to surprise him. Goldie had even offered to come over and do her make up for her and it was such a luxury for Summer that she was truly touched by her friend’s thoughtfulness. She had also done her hair and after she finished placing the last pins in to her elaborate coiffure, she helped her into her gown. Goldie, standing back to see the over all effect was in awe. ‘Honey, you are sure going to rock their socks off and Gery’s too in that outfit, that’s a given.’

When Summer walked out to tell Gery she was ready he was sitting at the piano playing of all things a Beatles medley quietly singing to him self and smiling and he didn’t hear her come in. She stopped and listened to him and as she always was, she was mesmerised by his voice as he sang. 

*I give her all my love,   
That’s all I do.   
And if you saw my love,   
You’d love her too.  
I love her

She gives me everything  
And tenderly   
The kiss my lover brings  
She brings to me  
And I love her

A love like ours  
Could never die  
As long as I  
Have you near me

Bright are the starts that shine  
Dark is the sky  
I know this love of mine  
Will never die  
And I love her

Bright are the stars that shine   
Dark is the sky  
I know this love of mine  
Will never die  
And I love her

He stopped as he looked up and saw her standing there. She looked stunning and she basked in the effect that she saw flooding through him. 

Her dress was a simply cut style, the palest of ice blue aquamarine in colour matching her eyes and it set them off to perfection. It was made from the finest of chiffon that floated dreamily around her legs as she walked. The strapless bodice was studded with shimmering crystals that sparkled as the light hit them, as though someone had scattered handfuls of glittering stars across the neckline, cascading down the bodice then trailed them randomly down the dress until they dipped the hem in a twinkling finale of incandescent whimsicality. She had bought a piece of the same fabric and sewn a matching wrap, even taking the time to dye the length so that as the shades gradated from the palest of ice colouring through to mid then deep shades of the same colour, the over all effect had a dream like ethereal quality. 

Goldie had pinned her hair up but left tiny strands loose and then she had softly curled them and she pinned matching ice blue stars randomly through out. She had not worn any jewellery; she had none to speak of, all her pieces being costume and none of them worthy of the occasion.

Gery stood and walked over to her taking her hands and turned her around to get the full effect, shaking his head as he took her all in. ‘You look … I can’t believe how you look,’ his eyes told her what he was thinking. ‘You look stunning Babes.’ He kissed her gently not wanting to spoil her make up. ‘I … I have something for you’ he said. Ironically it was exactly six months to the day that they had been married and almost nine months to the day since they had met so even had it not been the premiere; Gery had bought this with the intention of giving it to her. 

 

He handed her a rather large black velvet jewellery case. ‘Gery you don’t need to…’ but he interrupted her ‘Happy anniversary Babes’ he smiled, ‘go on, open it’ he was urging her. ‘Wait, I have something for you, well two things really’ she said over her shoulder as she left the room and came back carrying a small black box in one hand and awkwardly holding a larger beautifully wrapped gift in the other. 

‘You first’ he insisted and with that she opened the box to reveal a strand of large pearls that met in the centre with a diamond encrusted golden heart and a diamond tassel cunningly attached it. The matching earrings were diamond studded hearts with the same tassels. ‘Pearls are for wives, diamonds are for lovers. You are both to me Babes, you are everything to me.’ She looked at the set and was in awe, she had never in her life seen anything as beautiful. ‘I designed them and had them made up especially for you’ he was smiling like a little kid now, full of excitement. ‘Here, let me put them on you’ and he fastened them around her neck while she put the earrings on. ‘They are perfect’ he was beaming at her as he fingered the tassel of the necklace, running his hands across her collarbones and down her shoulders with a loving caress that made her shiver. ‘Oh Gery, thank you, you are just …’ she was lost for words. ‘Dam it, I think I am going to cry and if I do my make up will run and I will look like a cross between a Panda bear and The joker,’ she laughed. ‘You would still look beautiful to me, no matter what’ he nuzzled her, kissing the top of her head carefully so as not to disturb her hair. 

‘Come on, it’s your turn now’ she was smiling as she handed him the small box first. He opened it and looked at her grinning like a kid on Christmas day. ‘You didn’t?’ They had been online a few weeks ago and he had been admiring watches when he spotted a Rolex Air – King Oyster Perpetual Automatic full rose gold watch with a black dial and he had fallen in love with it, talking about it non stop for two days. ‘Babes’ he pulled her into him and kissed her heedless of the damage to her make up ‘you know you really shouldn’t have.’ He was grinning like there was no tomorrow. ‘Here’ he held out his arm for her to put it on him. ‘You know that I will always wear this, this is so special to me. You have no idea of how chuffed I am.’

She patted his cheek and turning, picked up the other gift and handed it to him. He carefully unwrapped the elaborately decorated gift, they were greenies so everything was recycled including the wrapping paper. He sucked in his breath when he saw what was inside, it was the photo that she had taken at the waterfall the first time they had gone there, the one of Gery in the morning light with the look that Summer always thought made her realise just how loved she was. There was no mistaking that look, it was the look of total love and she had it blown up and framed. 

‘Babes, I love it. It’s me but it’s all because of you, you know that don’t you?’ he asked her softly. ‘I know, I just look at that moment in time and melt. I can see it in you, I know how you were feeling at that moment not just from the snap but it just reminds me every time I look at it, how very much I love you and love being loved by you’ she replied. ‘Have I told you today that I love you Mrs Winters?’ She looked into his eyes and smiled, ‘Have I told you today how very much I love you and you make me so very happy Mr Winters?’ ‘So the next question is, where we are going to hang it?’ he said looking around the room. ‘Oh no, this is going in the bedroom’ she said firmly. Gery’s eyebrows rose. ‘You’re not going to get rid of the other two are you?’ 

When Summer had finally moved all her belongings out of her apartment and Clair had moved in, the very first thing that she unpacked was her precious framed pics and they had both agreed that it would be more than suitable for them to be hung exactly as she had them at her place, one on the wall opposite the bed and one behind it. ‘You like that don’t you?’ Gery had asked smugly as he was hanging the black and white Men’s Health piece. ‘You know that I do, I loved that shoot, you looked so dam hot in it and you knew it so don’t you try to look modest. You are a dangerously sexy man Babes and you know it. In fact, why don’t I just show you how very much I really like that pic?’ she purred as she ran her hands down him teasingly. ‘You saucy thing’ he had laughed at the time before grabbing her and throwing her on the bed to smother her in kisses. 

‘Dam it’ Gery exclaimed looking down at her now as she stood there looking good enough to eat, ‘if we didn’t have the premiere tonight I would so be hanging this and we could sit there admiring it.’ Summer chortled ‘We would just sit there looking at it? Yes, sure I believe you.’ He smirked ‘well we would start off just admiring it then …’ He ran his finger lightly down her neck and flicked the tassel of her necklace, ‘if we didn’t have to go I would so love to make love to you right now’ he teased her with his voice husky and full of lust. ‘And just how do you think it would look if the main star didn’t attend their own film premiere. Come on’ she said reluctantly breaking away from him ‘lead me into the den of lions, it’s time that I face the music.’

So the two of them had sat there with Frank and his wife on one side of Gery, whilst on the other side to the left of Summer sat Clair, with Jules in tow. In the time since filming, Clair and Jules had become such an item that they had given up trying to evade the press and as to their relationship, they were seen out and about at all the LA nightspots, unashamedly living it up and very much the ‘it’ young celebrity couple of the moment, much to Clair’s astonishment. Unlike Gery and Summer, it didn’t worry them one bit all the media attention, in fact they thrived on it and played it up to the hilt for the photographers that were always on the lookout for a good photo. 

It was the first time that Gery and Summer had seen the whole finished cut of the movie and in a way they were looking forward to it and how could they not be. It was the reason that they had met, had fallen in love and that now, their lives were so very rich and fulfilled. And Frank being Frank had one more surprise for both Summer and the audience and it did not come until the very end and it nearly bought the house down.

The audience had gasped and sighed as they watched spell bound at the end of the movie when they came to realise what they were watching was an actual marriage proposal. Even though they had substituted Gery’s lines to the appropriate dialogue for the ending, still you could not escape the fact that this was truly the most romantic ending of all time. But as the credits rolled a background shot of Greg and Felicia – Gery and Summer, standing hugging on the beach at sunset came up and the unmistakable sound of Gery at the piano flooded the theatre, vision of him sitting playing at a piano singing was rolling over the image with the credits just to top things off.

Imagine me and you, I do  
I think about you day and night  
It's only right  
To think about the girl you love  
And hold her tight  
So happy together

If I should call you up  
Invest a dime  
And you say you belong to me  
And ease my mind  
Imagine how the world could be  
So very fine   
So happy together

I can't see me loving nobody but you  
For all my life  
When you're with me  
Baby the skies will be blue  
For all my life

Me and you  
And you and me  
No matter how they tossed the dice  
It had to be  
The only one for me is you  
And you for me  
So happy together

Me and you  
And you and me  
No matter how they tossed the dice  
It had to be  
The only one for me is you  
And you for me  
So happy together

Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba   
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba

Me and you  
And you and me  
No matter how they tossed the dice  
It had to be  
The only one for me is you  
And you for me  
So happy together

So happy together

How is the weather  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba  
So happy together  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba  
We're happy together  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba  
So happy together...  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba  
So happy together...  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba  
So happy together...  
Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba Ba ba

The audience went wild, even the most hardened of critics had been seen to laugh at the appropriate times, be moved at the right times and at the very end, they were almost cheering as loudly as the rest of the audience. Frank turned to Gery with a huge smile on his face and shook his hand ‘This is going to be some night’ he laughed as the audience stomped and cheered. ‘It’s a feel good movie Gery and have a look around you’ Frank gave a sweeping wave of his arm, ‘just look, every single one of them have a smile from ear to ear on their faces. Just beautiful.’ He was beaming now and excited beyond belief. ‘Oh and Gery, that wife of yours’ he said smiling, ‘she has the potential to have one hell of a career ahead of her, you make sure you tell her that because I am certainly going to. This is only the beginning for her, by the time we start the UK filming everyone is going to know just what a knock out she is and smart to boot. She is going to be one very wealthy little lady, it was a wise move taking a percentage instead of a fee, this movie it going to make all of us a fortune.’

The after party was packed to the rafters, guests clamouring to talk to the stars and be seen talking to the right people and no one was in more demand than Gery and Summer. This was their big coming out and although they had been offered huge sums to go on all the chat shows to talk about how they had met, much to Artie’s disgust they had turned them all down, both of them feeling that they owed so very much to Frank on a personal level that it was only fair and right they use the premiere to tell the world their story and engender even yet more publicity. It was a world wind experience for everyone and the whole place was still buzzing from the movie, smiling faces everywhere. 

It was agreed in the press and the gossip columns the next day that it was the best premiere that had been held for years and there was one particular group that would attest to that. Summer had made certain that her Gery’s Girls coffee group had been invited to attend the evening and had personally introduced Gery to each and everyone one of them, some of them even flying in from as far away as the Ukraine, the UK, Germany and Australia, the overseas girls normally skyping when the once a month get together was held so for them, this was an event they would never forget as it was the first time that some of them had met in person and to meet Summer and Gery was a once in a lifetime opportunity. There was a Canadian and New Mexican contingent too, as well as the LA locals of course, plus many other girls from state side. Gery had been so terribly impressed and touched by all of them and their devotion to him as they had told him of the efforts that some of them had to go to with the different time zones around the world. ‘Thank god for skype’ he had grinned, ‘it’s amazing the things that you can get up to with it, isn’t it?.’

The party seemed to go on and on, no one wanted it to end, everyone was just having such a great time but there was work the next day for some and others were going off to various other impromptu parties. Clair, who now had Jules living with her in Summer’s old apartment, had invited all the actors and favourites back to her place, Gery and Summer showing up for a while before leaving around four in the morning making the excuse that they still had a lot of packing to do but instead of going home, Gery took off in the opposite direction, much to Summer’s surprise. 

‘Do you want to tell me where we are going?’ she asked him as he drove confidently through the empty streets. ‘It’s a surprise’ he smiled taking her hand and kissing it, ‘be patient and you will see.’ She looked at him and smiled, she knew better than to question him by now. ‘You know that we really have a million and one things to do before we leave for home.’ She was looking at him and a huge grin broke out on his face. ‘Heh, do you realise what you just said?’ She looked a little puzzled, ‘No what did I just say?’ ‘You said “before we leave for home”… for England.’ She laughed ‘That’s your fault, you have turned me into an Anglophile and I can’t wait to get there. I know that we have a month before we start filming but if we are leaving in ten days that’s really only going to give us a couple of weeks before the project starts and we need to get settled in. And besides, heaven knows how we are going to fit everything into that leaky tub of yours’ she laughed. ‘Babes, I promise you that you will have everything that you need, absolutely everything.’ He was smirking as he said that, ‘Well if our last visit was anything to go by’ she reminisced ‘you are so right’ she said as she ran her hand up his thigh. 

She was saying this as he pulled into the cut away that led down to what they now called their beach. He parked the car and turned to her looking serious for a moment, ‘I know that everything that has happened in the last six months seems like a rush, do you mind, has it been too much for you?’ he asked concerned. She looked at the worried look on his face, it was so unlike the normal look, so alien that she was genuinely concerned for him. ‘Gery, if it means that we are together then that is all that counts. No, it hasn’t been too much for me. I have you don’t I and for me that is all that matters.’ He smiled, the look of relief on his face instantly wiping away any fears that she had felt for him. ‘Come on’ he said as he lent across to the back seat and grabbed the rug that was lying there. 

Before walking down to the beach they stopped to look out across the view. There was a full moon and the night was clear, warm and balmy. The waves below provided a backdrop of white noise as they stood holding each other, before walking down the stairs and spreading the blanket out on the sand just as they had done for their first night picnic almost nine months ago now to the day. They sat just holding each other thinking of all that had happened in the short space of time, memories flooding through each of them. The day they met, the first night at the beach and after wards, Gery’s reluctance to go home and Summer’s acceptance of him living with her. The first time at the cabin when she had finally given herself to him and the incredible morning at the waterfall, all went through their minds, each moment in itself special. Then the everyday sort of things that we all take for granted but are a part of the rich tapestry of life that we live and that makes each one of us a small part in the bigger scheme of things. 

All the other memories that they had crammed into the short space of time they had been together drifted through their minds like a kaleidoscope of visions, coloured fragments of the moments most memorable to them both. Fleeting looks of love embedded in their very being flitting here and there randomly, all with love and all joyful. The one exception was firmly locked away in to a corner of their minds but even that was not all bad, had it not been for that one small glitch their lives may not have been the same so they could take from it what they needed and leave the other dark days of that short time behind them.

‘Have I told you that I love you today’ he turned his face to her and cupping hers, he kissed her gently. Smiling she looked at him, his face so tender and glowing with his love written plainly all over it. ‘Have I told you that you make me so very happy? I don’t know where we are going, what the future holds but I know that this chance that Frank has given us, given you especially with the new film and all, Gery it’s so exciting and you really so do deserve it. This is like a whole new start to your career, I mean who knows where this will lead. It is going to be such an awesome project, something that is so different, so meaningful. It’s a story that needs to be told and you are going to be the one that will be remembered as having been a huge part of it and I can’t wait.’

She was looking into his eyes as she said this and with his usual way, he gently brushed the hair from her face where one of the strands of silky curls had fallen. ‘You will be too Babes, you are going to be so awesome in it.’ He said this with a certainty. ‘Summer where ever this takes us we are going there together and we will always be together. We have only just begun and I can’t wait for the rest of our story. I asked you before when we were in front of cameras and in front of so many others but now there is just you and me so I am asking you again, will you spend the rest of your life with me. I want to love you for ever Summer, I want you by my side where ever we go. I love you.’ 

She looked into the bluest of eyes that she had ever seen, the eyes that she had fallen in love and lust with years before when she was just Gery’s Angel and he was a dream seducing her each night as she went to bed. Now, those eyes sparkled with life and joy when they looked at her and with hope, how could she ever resist them. ‘If I could, I would spend eternity with you’ she whispered softly to him. 

He pulled her in close to him, his arms wrapping around her and kissed her. He smiled, ‘That’s settled then, you are mine’ and he kissed her again ‘you are the love of my life and I am never letting you go.’

Finis


End file.
